UPEI faculty union prepping for job action after 83% back strike

The University of Prince Edward Island's faculty members have voted in favour of striking — if necessary. 

Eighty-five per cent of members participated in a strike vote Monday and Tuesday, and of those, 83 per cent voted in favour of authorizing the executive committee to call a strike if or when it decides to do so.

The UPEI Faculty Association has a temporary office set up and ready in case a strike happens. 

Association president Michael Arfken said the vote provides the union's negotiating team with significant support.

"What we have here is 83 per cent of our members are saying that there's something wrong and it's time that the administration listened, and so we hope they hear this and … are willing to engage with us," he said. 

"I'm disappointed that we had to get to this point in order to have that sort of conversation with the employer. But here we are: Our members have spoken, so we're very happy with the result of the vote."

Arfken notes the earliest a strike would be called would be after the Canada Winter Games, which start on Saturday. "We're excited about the Canada Games being here and we're not going to do anything to disrupt that," he said.

Administration 'committed' to settlement

CBC News asked the UPEI administration for an interview about the labour situation, but received a statement instead.  

"The university welcomes the return to bargaining with the assistance of mediator Michelle Flaherty, who has indicated her willingness to assist the parties if both parties agree," the statement said.

"As we have indicated previously, UPEI remains committed to reaching a settlement with the UPEI Faculty Association through any avenue, including interest arbitration, to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement that is in the best interests of our students and university community, and before any labour disruption occurs."

The faculty association says it wants to get back to negotiations to talk about reasonable workloads, more full-time faculty, improved health and safety and higher pay for everyone who teaches on campus.

As for what they're looking for, Arfken said while investments and tuition have gone up, those resources haven't gone toward things that improve the quality of students' education. 

"For example ... there's not been very many more full-time faculty added to the university and so with more students, not as many full-time faculty, the students don't have the access to professors or access to the courses they want. So we want to see more full-time faculty," he said. 

Arfken said when it comes to wages, their first proposal was for 30 per cent increase over three years. But he said that was a very long time ago. 

"We're more than happy to start adjusting our wage proposal. But having not seen any movement in any of the other areas, we really have nowhere to go at this point.... We're willing to come to a closer number with the administration, but we want to see movement on the other issues as well," he said. 

On Wednesday, students interviewed on campus said they feel uncertain about what could happen over the next few weeks. Some worry about missing school if a strike happens, while many want to support their instructors too. 

"It's a good thing that they're standing up for what they want, but I hope they go back to the table and figure out something that works for both sides," said biology student Darcy Ellis.

Third-year physics student Vinay Maru said he realizes students might miss a week or so of education due to a strike or lockout, but said in the long term it's worth it. 

Charlize Sahely said it's something students are talking about. "If the strike does happen, then I really hope it can go as quickly as possible, so all the students can get back to our education," she said. 

Part of a pattern?

The university says it has a mediator ready and hopes to get to an agreement which will be in the best interests of the university community and students.  

The inflationary spiral affecting everyone is a factor, but clearly there is a frustration that university administrators have not reached out to consult with faculty ...— Canadian Association of University Teachers

The Canadian Association of University Teachers said it sees the potential strike at UPEI as part of an emerging pattern from the last three years of the pandemic. 

"An unusual number of our members are/were in negotiations and this is partially attributable to the extending contracts until the most acute phase of the pandemic had ended," the association said in a statement.

"The inflationary spiral affecting everyone is a factor, but clearly there is a frustration that university administrators have not reached out to consult with faculty (and students) when making strategic plans for the future."