BU students fear strike would cause ‘significant harm’

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This article was published 24/02/2024 (946 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University students fear a looming strike would cause them “significant harm,” the students’ union says.

Last week, 86.9 per cent of Brandon University Faculty Association members voted in favour of a strike mandate. BUFA’s previous four-year contract expired on March 31, 2023.

Brandon University Students’ Union president Chukwuanugo Okudo said students find themselves at the centre of the storm, grappling with uncertainties about the impact on their academic pursuits.

“A strike poses significant harm to students. While its repercussions are felt across the student body, certain individuals will bear a disproportionate burden,” Okudo told the Sun Friday in an email. “Students enrolled in professional programs, such as nursing and education, face the disruption of crucial practicums and placements.”

Aside from students in professional programs, those aspiring to pursue post-graduate studies, such as in law or medicine, may also encounter challenges, as the unavailability of final grades within stringent deadlines could jeopardize their admission prospects.

“This situation might lead them to forfeit admission to their preferred institution or compel them to defer their academic pursuits,” Okudo said.

He said the students’ union endorses BUFA’s objectives — especially its dedication to equity, diversity and inclusion — and is urging the university administration to reach a resolution and avert a potential strike.

The union is also seeking opportunities to contribute constructively to the resolution process, Okudo said, and keeps students informed on the ongoing communications between BUFA and administration.

“We send updates to students’ school email addresses, ensuring they access reliable resources offering detailed insights into the current status of negotiations,” he said. “Our goal is to provide transparent and accurate information, empowering students to stay well-informed throughout this process.”

The students’ union, he added, has actively engaged with all other unions on campus, aiming to understand the individual impact of a potential strike on each group. “Collaborative efforts are focused on determining how the union can collectively support BUFA to the best of our abilities.”

The two sides in the dispute were scheduled to meet last Tuesday, Wednesday and all day Thursday and Friday to discuss the ongoing issues.

The Sun reached out to both parties for updates. The university provided a copy of an email sent out across campus last week and said, “Admin doesn’t plan further comment at this time.” BUFA did not respond to the Sun’s request.

In a press release issued last week Saturday, BUFA referenced pushes by faculty for greater pay increases after the union’s last contract was negotiated under the now-repealed Public Sector Sustainability Act put in place by the Pallister government, which limited pay increases for public-sector workers.

It also pointed out efforts by faculty to increase equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and indigenization of language in their contract.

Jon-Tomas Godin, BUFA’s vice-president of bargaining and grievance, told the Sun last Saturday that overall turnout for the strike vote was around 76 per cent, but that figure is misleading. Godin said the turnout was around 90 per cent for staff on full-time contracts and around 40 per cent for staff on part-time contracts, who typically have a lower turnout for votes because they frequently have other jobs elsewhere.

Compensation is one of the union’s main pillars in talks, Godin said, as the pension plan for faculty has not seen improvements in 15 years.

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