Strike at Laval University jeopardizes semester

Students at Laval University in Quebec City are facing an extended spring semester as a labour dispute between lecturers and the school reached another impasse this week.

Lecturers voted 80.9 per cent against the latest contract offer from the university in a general assembly meeting on Tuesday night.

The rejection means lecturers will pursue their general strike, launched in early March after contract talks with the university fell through.

The strike has jeopardized the semester for some students, who have yet to complete the full 12 weeks of course work and other requirements to earn credits.

The school said if the labour dispute is not resolved, it will request that administrators step in and help wrap up classes, either by giving remaining lectures or grading papers to allow graduating students to finish on time.

Students will also be given the option of extending their semester into May and make up for lost classes. In some cases, students will earn a simple pass or fail instead of a letter grade, and will be given the choice of repeating the class at another time at no charge.

The semester is supposed to finish on April 27.

Lecturers have been on strike since early March, in search of better working conditions and equity with their peers working in other universities.