Dalhousie Strike Crisis Deepens: Multiple Labour Disputes Impact Atlantic Canada’s Largest University

Labour Disruption at Dalhousie Continues with Multiple Fronts

The ongoing labour dispute at Dalhousie University has entered a critical phase, with faculty members locked out since August 20 and on strike since August 22. The strike involves nearly 1,000 professors, instructors, librarians and professional counsellors.

Current State of Negotiations

A potential breakthrough emerged as both the Dalhousie University board of governors and the Dalhousie Faculty Association agreed to return to conciliation talks on September 8, with the university’s board expressing willingness to meet even earlier.

The key issues in dispute include wage increases to keep pace with inflation, expanded parental leave benefits, and flexible class scheduling policies. While the university has proposed two percent increases annually over three years, the faculty association is seeking more substantial increases of 3.75%, 4.75%, and 5.75% over the same period.

Impact on Students

Most classes at Dalhousie were unable to start as planned when the term began on September 2. The university is maintaining communication with students through official channels including Dalhousie email and the Labour Relations site.

Additional Labour Challenges

Compounding the situation, part-time instructors and teaching assistants at the university have voted overwhelmingly (87.7%) in favor of their own strike mandate ahead of October conciliation talks. However, the university remains optimistic about reaching a deal, noting that no strike action can occur until after conciliation ends and a 14-day cooling-off period has passed.

Looking Forward

The university has announced that key deadlines, including those for adding/dropping courses and fee payments, will be extended to ensure students have sufficient time to make informed decisions about their course selections. New deadlines will be determined once the labour disruption ends.