The DSU is on the side of students and faculty.
UPDATE: Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Faculty Association has jointly announced that there will be no strike or lockout at this time. Visit Dal’s Labour Relations webpage for the full statement.
On October 26, the DFA announced that over 90% of their members had voted to reject the University’s "best offer,” putting the Dalhousie Faculty Association in a legal strike position and the Dalhousie Board of Governors Board in a legal lock-out position. On October 28, the University and the DFA jointly announced that there will be NO strike or lockout at this time. We’ll be monitoring the situation for any impacts to students.
how did we get here?
This semester has been disruptive for students and faculty alike. On September 25. 2020, the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) released the results of a Workload Survey Summary Report demonstrating that over 85% of respondents were experiencing higher or substantially higher levels of stress compared to last year. As our entire Dalhousie community works to adapt to online learning, faculty have worked relentlessly to facilitate a fruitful academic environment and support students. Unfortunately, they themselves have been under supported despite pleading with the University for changes and resources which simply have not been provided. Many DFA members feel overworked, anxious, and disrespected by the Board of Governors’ actions and lack of action.
Amidst all this, the DFA and the Board have been engaged in a bargaining process to develop a new collective agreement. When the pandemic hit, the DFA suggested postponing bargaining for a year but the Board chose to move ahead despite concerns. Following a series of meetings and no agreement, on October 7th the DFA announced the outcome of a strike vote in which 90.6% of DFA members who voted indicated support for taking strike action to support the bargaining team’s position. Bargaining talks broke down when the Board would not budge on proposed changes to pensions and wages.
What does this mean for students?
The working conditions of the Dalhousie Faculty Association are our learning conditions. For students to succeed in our academic studies, Faculty at Dalhousie University need to have access to a working environment that supports and respects them and the work they are doing. Students want to learn and complete our studies on time without more disruptions. We hope that the University comes to the bargaining table in good faith, to ensure that our learning conditions will be maintained and supported moving forward. The DSU will continue to update members on the status of the DFA and Dalhousie negations and will inform students on how this will impact their studies throughout the semester as information becomes available.
For more information on the Dalhousie Faculty Association negotiations, you are encouraged to visit the DFA website and the Dalhousie University website.
In the coming weeks, the Dalhousie Student Union will be hosting a virtual town hall on our Instagram for students to ask any questions or concerns regarding the strike. If you would like to submit a question, feel free to complete the form above.
Frequently Asked Questions
The DFA’s Student Info page contains more detailed information about bargaining, what a strike would look like, and how it would impact students and academics. Dalhousie University updates can be found on their Labour Relations page.
▼ What is the DFA?
The Dalhousie Faculty Association is an organization that represents full-time faculty, instructors, librarians, and counselors at Dalhousie in labour relations with the Board of Governors. The DFA is one of the five unions representing employees at Dalhousie University. Information about the DFA can be found on their website.
▼ Will a strike happen on November 6th?
Not at this time. As of October 28, the two sides have agreed to request the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education to appoint a conciliation board comprised of members from the Board and the DFA. We will be monitoring the situation for any impact to students. See the links above for the most up-to-date information from the DFA and Dalhousie.
▼ If a strike happens, how will this affect my courses/grant-paid job? Will I graduate on time? How do I prepare?
The DFA has released some information on their Student Info page but specifics are still largely unknown. See the links above for the most up-to-date information from the DFA and Dalhousie, and as we learn more we will do our best to keep you updated.
▼ Why is the DSU supporting faculty?
The DSU recognizes that the conditions our faculty work under are directly linked to the conditions under which we learn. If our faculty are overworked, underappreciated, and not respected in bargaining, our academics will also suffer. We have already heard from thousands of students about how hard learning in the online environment has been during this pandemic. While faculty have asked for support from the university, it has not been adequate. Students are experiencing the downstream effects of a Board unwilling to prioritize academics and students, as we have already seen with their insistence on raising tuition during a global pandemic. We stand on the side of students in demanding that the Board truly prioritize the university’s academic mission.
▼ What is the DSU doing?
Our mandate and our goal is to advocate for students. Right now, we know students have questions and concerns, so we are working to share resources and information while voicing our support for the DFA.
▼ Why is there a potential strike?
A strike or lockout becomes a possibility when a bargaining unit (in this case, the DFA) and management (in this case, the Dalhousie Board of Governors) are unable to agree to the terms of a collective agreement. Collective agreements govern both monetary and non-monetary provisions and processes for a unionized group of workers, and they are re-negotiated every few years.
The last DFA/Dalhousie collective agreement expired on June 30, 2020 but a new one has not yet been ratified because of strong disagreement between the two sides. All possible ways for the two sides to come to an agreement must be considered before a strike or lockout takes place.
One of these key steps is conciliation, when a government-appointed mediator joins a bargaining meeting and attempts to help with negotiations. Conciliation began on October 19 but quickly broke down. The appointed conciliator filed his report on October 22, marking the beginning of a 14-day period before legal job action (a strike or lockout) can begin.
As of October 28, the two sides have agreed to request the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education to appoint a conciliation board comprised of members from the Board and the DFA.
We will monitor the situation for any impact to students. See the links above for the most up-to-date information from the DFA and Dalhousie.
▼ How can I support faculty?
Solidarity is key to supporting faculty. You can contact the university directly to voice your support for faculty, and you can also spread the word on social media and with your friends. If a strike does take place, you can join your faculty on the picket line.
To contact the University, you can reach out to
Acting Vice Provost and Vice President Academic, Frank Harvey (Frank.Harvey@dal.ca or 902-494-1439)
Assistant Vice-President Human Resources Jasmine Walsh (Jasmine.Walsh@dal.ca or 902-494-8892).
You can also tag Dalhousie University (@dalhousieu) and Dalhousie’s President Deep Saini (@dalpres) on social media.
You can also follow the DFA (@dalfacultyassoc) on social media and like and share their posts.
▼ What resources will still be available for students?
The DFA has released some information on their Student Info page but specifics are largely unknown. See the links above for the most up-to-date information from the DFA and Dalhousie, and as we learn more we will do our best to keep you updated.