Faculty, academic librarians and counsellors represented by the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) in Sudbury, Ont. are on strike.
The strike took effect as of 12:01 AM on Monday morning, after the union said mediated talks reached an impasse Sunday afternoon.
“We made enormous sacrifices to keep Laurentian alive,” LUFA president, Fabrice Colin said in a media release.
“Throughout the insolvency process, we did our part to save this institution. Our members endured job losses, the dismantling of our pension plan, wage rollbacks and dramatically increased workloads. We did everything asked of us to help stabilize this university. Now that Laurentian is financially stable, it’s time for the Board of Governors to step up and do its part.”
In a statement, the university said “this is not the outcome we had hoped for, and we understand these events will provoke a range of emotions.”
The university said the campus remains open, but all classes are suspended temporarily.
The university added it made an offer that is “fair, reasonable and sustainable in the circumstances.”
“We acknowledge the critical role that LUFA members play both inside and outside the classroom,” the university said.
“We recognize that the university community has been through a tremendously difficult few years. LUFA members have remained committed to Laurentian, and we have a deep appreciation for their efforts in restoring Laurentian to its current status and charting its future. We continue our commitment to negotiating in good faith to find an agreement that is fair to LUFA members while protecting the long-term financial sustainability of the university.”
