One step closer, but strike not imminent

Don’t trust anyone who says a Dal faculty strike is official. It’s not.

The final conciliation meeting between the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) and Dal administration ended Feb. 15 without an agreement. The next step is for the conciliator to file his report with the Department of Labour and Advanced Education.

Two weeks after the report is filed, faculty members would be legally allowed to go on strike.

Chris Saulnier, president of the Dalhousie Student Union, says he has reason to believe the conciliator will file the report next week. That would mean the DFA could strike as early as March 5.

But failure of conciliation does not mean a strike is imminent.

Faculty members have still not finished voting on whether they agree with a strike or not and negotiations will still take place in the next few weeks, albeit without a mediator present.

The results of the faculty strike vote will likely be out Feb. 17, although the DFA has the right to choose when to release the results.

The DFA must give 48 hours notice to the Department of Labour and Advanced Education before it goes on strike, and in the event of a lock-out where the administration refuses to let employees work, the administration would need to give 48 hours notice as
well.

Check the Gazette’s timeline here for more detailed information. It will be updated as more information becomes available.

As well, if you haven’t seen Tom Traves’ memo on this subject, see the Administration’s blog here.