BUFA, province share the blame

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/11/2011 (5421 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“Grumpy Old Men” is a 1993 American romantic comedy film that was one of the biggest surprise hits of the year at the time of its release.

“Grumpier Old Men” is that film’s 1995 less successful sequel.

Grumpiest Old Men is a stage play — a live tragedy currently being played out on the streets of Brandon starring some of the most out of touch, selfish and greedy people ever to lead a labour union.

As of late yesterday, the executive of the Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA) is now the only entity standing in the way of some 3,100 students being allowed to return to class.

Why is that? Could the BUFA executive be placing its own interests before that of the student body and the community at large?

The economic engine that is Brandon University has ground to a halt for nearly a month as these highly educated and very well-paid professors trudge along public sidewalks, receiving little or no support from those passing them by.

This strike will not only do irreparable harm to the university, but to the students’ academic careers and the city’s attempts to move forward in a modern, progressive manner. Mayor Shari Decter Hirst must be apoplectic.

The Progressive Conservative MLAs for the region are pleading for the province to step in.

The NDP provincial government is playing games, hiding behind such ludicrous statements as it’s “observing the collective bargaining process.”

What rubbish.

The provincially appointed mediator, Michael Werier, delivered his report to Labour Minister Jennifer Howard on Monday, stating that negotiations between administration and the faculty association had reached an impasse — largely over wage increases. Werier recommended to Howard that both sides go to binding arbitration to resolve their dispute on wage increases, and either arbitrate or negotiate the remaining issues.

Unless both sides agree to arbitration, the strike could last until Dec. 11 — a month from now — that’s the date either side can ask the Manitoba Labour Board to force an arbitrated settlement. The province, BU administration, many students and most parents are onside with arbitration and a return to classes.

The only antagonists at BU are some of the radical members of the Brandon University Students’ Union who are known NDP supporters or just immature rabble-rousers. BUSU will have little or no credibility left at the end of this thing.

If BUFA would agree today to arbitration, the students would be back in class immediately.

At the start of this strike, the Sun’s management and editorial board made a decision to stay neutral in the Our View column.

But we never expected the strike to extend for so long and for all the wrong reasons.

Is this strike really about money? Or is it about payback for some perceived wrong from another time?

Regardless, the future of the university is at risk. High school students are determining where they will enrol now and from what we hear, BU isn’t exactly a school of choice. We now clearly see who the villains are in this performance — the faculty’s union and the provincial government.

If the province can shed its ideological skin just enough to support the federal omnibus crime bill, why can’t it also call the House back into session — the timing of the unusually short fall sitting is even now more suspect — and legislate the strikers back to work?

Unless the province truly believes the end of Brandon University is a good thing.

It would certainly end having to deal with accusations of chronic underfunding of the place.