>Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2000 17:10:26 -0500 >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sender: H-Net Labor History Discussion List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: Seth Wigderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Faculty Strike At Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >From: Michelle McBride <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Hi Seth, > >I just wanted to let the listserv know that faculty at Memorial >University of Newfoundland are on strike and could use emails of >support. MUNFA has been on strike since Tues and its wet and cold on the >picket line. We've had the first encouraging sign today that talks may >resume over the weekend. After a year of unproductive talks -- there >was no salary offer until after MUNFA requested conciliation in Aug. 2000 >-- MUN administration finally put out a package which attempts to >divide the faculty and librarians into those deserving of a raise >(those with phds) and those not as deserving (Masters). The salary >increase offered for Phds is very generous, 20% which will almost bring >MUN's salaries up to the national average. Increases for non-PHds vary >but are much less, librarians have been offered around 13%. MUNFA would >like to see the money already offered redistributed more fairly between >all staff. > > The day the strike was called the university cancelled classes >and locked out all teaching staff, even those not in the bargaining unit >(sessionals who teach less then 3 courses are non-union). In an >underhanded move, the administration then moved the fall break forward by >2 weeks and cancelled classes for 3 more days. > > For those wanting more information on the strike please check out >MUNFA's webpage: > >http://www.nfld.net/munfa/ > >To email the administration >(President Axel Meisen) email [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Thanks for your support, Michelle > >The main issues in the strike: > >Salary fairness: academic staff without PhD's, sessional and contractuals, >and those near retirement are all seriously disadvantaged by MUN's >proposal. Many of those without doctorates are very experienced staff >nearing retirement, why punish them now after years of >service? The administration proposal also fails to address the plight of >sessional and contractual instructors - those who teach on the basis of a >per-course stipend that has not been increased for over ten years. They >deserve fair and adequate pay and conditions. > >Pension reform: surplus pension funds should be used only for improved >retirement benefits and for no other purpose. > >Faculty renewal: MUN talks about faculty renewal but refuses to negotiate >severance and early retirement packages. > >Other issues: MUN initially proposed a variety of financial clawbacks such >as limits on their contributions to health plans and an unfettered right >to raise parking fees.
