U of M strike: union using students as pawns, says administration

The University of Manitoba says the school's faculty associationis using students as "pawns" in labour negotiations with administration.

The situation is "beyond disappointing," saidJohnKearsey, vice president external for the University of Manitoba on Monday.

AsUMFA'sstrike enters its second week,Kearseysaid it would be possible to continue negotiations with the unionwithout disrupting class for students.

• 'Hope for a settlement': Faculty optimistic as conciliation continues in U of M strike

Earlier in the day, the University of Manitoba Faculty Association rejected the school's latest offer, saying the proposal did not go far enough to protect members from arbitrary workload increases.

"We put a compromise offer on the table, we knew it wasn't perfect but we wanted to do something to show that we recognized issues around teaching workload and assignment and administrative workload," saidKearsey.

The offer proposed creating a special fund to hiremore students as markers and teaching assistants to offset existing workload issues.

UMFA presidentMark Hudsonsaid if the administration was seriousabout dealing with workload, it should hire TAs and markers immediately, without tying it toUMFAbargaining.

"We think we have been crystal clear from the beginning for the basic protections that we are asking for. And so it'sincredibly frustrating to read a proposal that doesn't seem to respond to what we have been telling them across the table," Hudson said.

TheUMFApresident said the amount of money the administration offered to hire more student teaching assistantsand markers is less than University of Manitoba president and vice-chancellor DavidBarnardand his four vice presidents earned last year, a figure UMFAputs at $1.7 million a year.

Barnard'ssalary alone is $452,000,according to Hudson.Of 13equivalentuniversities in Canada,Barnard'sincome ranks third-highest, whereUMFAsalariesrank at the bottom of the list, said Hudson.

U of M worried about long strike

Administration at the university is concerned the strike could last a long time, saidKearsey.

"We want our students back in the classroom where they belong," he said.

"You can imagine student's who've come from other countries to study at the University of Manitoba they didn't come here to sit in their apartments."

Hudson said the strikeis about issues of core importance to all who work and study at the university.

"We think the issues we have on the table are not just the issues about our working conditions, not just issues about our quality of life for our members they are issues that go to the heart of the student experience and quality of education at the U of M," said Hudson.

Pickets are still up along Chancellor Matheson Road, University Crescent and King's Drive as well as at the Bannatyne campus near the Brodie Centre next to the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre.

More than 1,200faculty members officially went on strike on Nov. 1,impacting almost all30,000 students in some way.

Growing frustration among students

Many classesare taught bynon-UMFAmembers teaching assistants and sessional instructors and have been continuing, but the majority of students at the university are also registered in classes with professors who are now on the picket lines.

Information aboutcourses, classroom scheduling and service changescan be found on the university'swebsite.

• U of M faculty take picket line to administration's front door
• One-third of U of M professors have crossed picket line, administration says, but union disagrees

The mood of many students towards the strike has begun to sour, University of Manitoba Students' Union president TanjitNagra said.

"I know alot of students were kind of happy with a few days off, but I think now that it's gone on this is technically Day 7 of the strike a lot of students are concerned and wondering whenthey can get back to actually doing their coursework," Nagra said.

"At this point, I think everyone would like to just return back to normal."

The students' union plansto ask the university senate to extend the voluntary withdrawal date for students. The current deadline is Nov. 18,which is the latest time someone can drop a course without being penalized with an F grade.

"A lot of them are concerned. They haven't received feedback from professors didn't have a chance to do that before the strike," Nagra said.

"They want to know how they're doing in their courses. Generally, that's a huge indicator that goes into a decision to voluntarily withdraw."

Strike may affect graduations

Students are also worried about the potential upheaval in their schedule.Nagrahas been told that "under no circumstances" would the entire fall term be a writeoff, but there certainly could be a delay in exam dates, with some being put over to January from December.

That all depends on how long the strike continues. If it ends soon, there could just be minor shuffling of dates. But if it goes long,there could ultimately be a delay in spring graduation.

"At this point it's just really uncertain," Nagra said. "Nobody is at the point where they'd like to be studying over the winter break. A lot of students would be unhappy about that.

"I'm just hoping an agreement's met that both parties are happy with sooner rather than later."

That said, most students would not not be pleased if a temporary one-year deal is struck, just to save the academic year, Nagra said.

That could leave students facing the same situation next fall when the two sides arebargaining once again.

The faculty association has filed a formal complaint with the Manitoba Labour Board alleging unfair labour practice. The union says the universitywithdrew a salary offer at the last minute.

• Profsstand firm as conciliation talks begin with U of M