Acadia University strike ends, classes to resume Thursday

A month-long faculty strike has ended at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., and classes will resume Thursday after the union and university agreed to go tobinding arbitration.

Acadia's 350 professors, librarians, archivists and instructors went on strike at the start of February and classes were cancelled after the latest contract offer from the university was rejected by the union.

Jon Saklofske, spokesperson for theAcadia University Faculty Association, said a mediation effort in recent days has failed and the union has agreed to arbitration.

"The strike has ended. There is no longer any picketing today and classes will resume on March 3," he told CBC News Tuesday.

"The Acadia University Faculty Association has committed to binding arbitration after an unsuccessful mediation attempt."

He said the outstanding issues for the faculty associationinclude ensuring that full-time tenured faculty positions keep pace with the growing student body, protecting rights and benefits for part-time staff, improvingfaculty diversity programs, and increasing salaries for staff.

The university confirmed it is going to binding arbitration.

"The university looks forward to welcoming the students back to class on Thursday and would like to thank the Acadia community for their patience during the strike," the university said in a statement.

It's not clear how long the arbitration process will take.

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