Dr. Mike DeGagne says there is no simple answer.
That’s what the Nipissing University President and Vice-Chancellor stated about the complicated process of finding common ground in a labour dispute.
After months of negotiations, the Nipissing University full-time faculty hit the picket lines on Monday morning after talks broke down on the weekend as the two sides attempted to get a deal done before a strike deadline of November 2.
The key stumbling blocks include an increase in pay, more say for in decision making within the school, along with staffing issues.
A Nipissing University press release outlined the offer which included a 3 percent pay increase over a three-year term, while the union is asking for a 6 percent increase.
An example of the Nipissing University deal would be that an associate professor who starts at $113,000 would by the end of the 3-year agreement earn $125,000.
“It’s so regrettable for an institution that has had so much momentum in the last year and made so many difficult choices that just as we are on our way to a much sounder financial future that this would intervene, so we are hoping for the best,” stated DeGagne during a press conference at the University this morning.
“We believe we have made a very fair offer here that shows our respect for our faculty who we hold in high regard and hope that this can be resolved quickly.”
Dave Tabachnick, a Nipissing University political science professor on sabbatical, says they are prepared to stay out here as long as it takes.
“We are upbeat, but we are very disappointed in the administration but we are glad to be out here together and fighting for what we think is a good deal and the right thing for us and the students and for the university for that matter,” he said.
Tabachnick believes the governance issue is a key stumbling point as well because he says the educators have more of a vested interest in the long-term sustainability of the institution.
“We’ve spent decades and decades working in this community and the administrators however, they have five-year contracts, they come in they sort of pad their CV and try to look good for themselves and then they are off to somewhere else,” he said.
DeGagne says it’s up to the faculty as to when the strike will end but administration will be keeping a close eye on how the strike will impact the student’s curriculum.
“We recalibrate every week to see how we would have to modify or change how long we would be in the class and how students would have to make up the time,” he said.
No talks are scheduled between the two sides.
