Cost-of-living pressures, changing demographics and financial constraints are some of the factors contributing to the past year of contract discord at several Nova Scotia universities.
Dalhousie University locked out nearly 1,000 faculty members in August 2025 amid contract negotiations.
David Westwood, president of the Dalhousie Faculty Association, said most union members are satisfied with the collective agreement that was ratified last fall between the union and the university.
The contract dispute meant students started the school year late on Sept. 23.
But Westwood said there’s still a strong sense of dissatisfaction among union members about the way it happened. Westwood said the lockout’s impact on morale and mental health persist.
“There is a lot of ill will and sentiment about the fact that we were locked out at all,” he said.
It’s not just Dalhousie whose educators have encountered contract disputes recently. In October, hundreds of classes were cancelled after part-time faculty at both Saint Mary
