MUN's student union siding with professors over possible strike vote despite possible disruptions

Memorial University students could face more disruptions to their education this winter as faculty staff ponder a strike vote heading into the new year.

Contract discussions between the university and the faculty association representing professorsbroke down earlier this month. No othertalks are scheduled ahead of the holidays.

Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Associationmembers can take a strike vote as early as Dec. 29, butpresident Ash Hossainsaid the vote could likely happen in the second week of January,meaning the winter semester could grind to a halt when students return on Jan. 5.

John Harris, the MUN student union's executive director of external affairs, communicationsand research, told CBC News students are concerned after years of navigating through their course loads under pandemic restrictions.

"We're going to make sure and push the administration to make sure that there's not any disruptions on the student side of things," Harris said.

"I think professors are going to be very empatheticgoing forward with students trying to get through, trying to not have as much disruption as possible."

Harris said students are siding with their professors since professorshave always been supportive of their students.

Students have been vocal about this year's tuition hike, which has caused costs to spike for local and international students alike while they contest with the rising cost of living.

"We have a lot of empathy for our professors who haven't got a raise in six years. At the end of the day, teachers' working conditions are students' learning conditions, so the better deal that MUNFA can get for its professors is a better deal for students as well," Harris said Thursday.

"They've beenside by side with us on the tuition hikes and have also come out in solidarity."

On Tuesday, Neil Bose, MUN's interim provost and vice-president of research, saidsalary discussionshave stalled negotiations.

MUNFA has asked for an eight per cent front-end salary increase for 2022 to combat inflation.Bose saidthe school is limited in what it can do, pointing to funding from the provincial government.

"Essentially MUN gets the funding for salary raises from the government, but only if we stay within the template," Bose said at the time.

"As the university is constrained, as everyone knows from the point of view of the removal or the winding down of the tuition offset grant, we're in a very tight financial situation."

Meanwhile,theprovincial government told CBC News it "does often provide general guidance and advice to entities in the public sector, but we do not bargain on behalf of Memorial University of Newfoundland."

In an emailed statement the province said it'shopeful both sideswill soon get back to the bargaining table.

Read morefrom CBC Newfoundland and Labrador