Inside
Front Page
News
Convocation
In Brief
Research
Podium
News and Notes
Out and About
Notable
Classified
Search this issue
The Gazette Homepage
Division of University Relations Homepage
A MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND PUBLICATION
November 2, 2000 |
MUNFA
walks out
First
faculty strike in Memorial’s history
By
Ivan Muzychka
For the first time in the history of Memorial University,
the union representing its 765 faculty and librarians (MUNFA)
has gone on strike.
On Oct. 20, the MUNFA executive held a strike vote which garnered
61 per cent support from the 547 members who voted.
Negotiators for the university’s administration and the
Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association (MUNFA)
worked through the night of Oct. 30 in an effort to develop a
contract. However, the union opted for strike action and set
up their picket lines early on Oct. 31.
Memorial University is offering a three-year contract with proposals
on salary, workload, tenure and promotion, and working conditions
designed to achieve standards comparable to those at other comprehensive
Canadian universities.
The salary proposal offers an average increase of 20.6 per cent
for all professors. For professors without doctorates (about
130 of the MUNFA members), the average increase is 15.7 per cent.
For professors with doctorates, the average increase is 22 per
cent.
“We have tried to do what we could in order to improve the
salaries for our employees and I’m committed to bringing
our salaries closer to where the Canadian national average is
in order to ensure that we have a first rate university,”
said Dr. Axel Meisen, president of Memorial, in an interview
with CBC Radio. “This offer does that. It doesn’t do
it exactly the same way for everybody but it is impossible under
the circumstances to do it in exactly the same way.”
The faculty association is not satisfied with the difference
in the salary offer made to professors with doctorates and to
those who do not hold a doctorate.
“What we want to do is to accept the principle that those
with the doctorate are undervalued under the current scale and
we endorse the notion that they should be paid, they should be
given an increment. But...we think that the university’s
increment is just too rich,” MUNFA president Dr. Noel Roy
told CBC Radio.
In response to the strike, the university cancelled all classes
and labs for Tuesday and moved the Fall semester break scheduled
for Nov. 13-15 to Nov. 1-3, effectively canceling all classes
for the rest of the week. this was done to reduce the impact
of the strike on the students. The university remains open to
students and faculty who want to access computer services and
research facilities. Students in St. John’s who have questions
or concerns are encouraged to call the Information Centres for
Students at 737-3423 or 737-3943, while Students at Grenfell
College can call 637-6200 to be referred to the appropriate office.
For updated information on the strike, visit the Memorial web
site at: www.mun.ca
Inside
the Gazette this week
 |
Convocation |
 |
prof visits developing countries |
 |
Hamel |
Next issue: November 16, 2000