Dalhousie faculty receives community support through the fourth week of lockout

In a Sept. 16 joint statement, Dalhousie University and its faculty association announced they reached a tentative agreement to end the labour disruption. This article was produced ahead of that announcement. 

As Dalhousie University’s lockout of its faculty enters its fourth week, picketers can still be found on the outskirts of campus. 

Kiran Banerjee and Jason Haslam, co-chairs of the DFA’s job action committee, have been organizing and operating the DFA’s efforts behind the scenes.

Dalhousie University’s board of governors locked out almost 1,000 DFA members on Aug. 20, suspending most fall semester classes.

“We didn’t choose to go on the line,” says Haslam. We were locked out while we were voting on the university’s offer. But we were ready to hit the lines because we know what we’re fighting for; we’re fighting for our communities.”

Car horns and cowbells can be heard all around the university’s campus in support of the picketers. 

Banerjee says it’s “incredibly empowering” for faculty to know they’re seen and supported.

“The level of support from all the students we’ve encountered, both on the line and online, has been remarkable,” he says.

According to Haslam, one of the most impactful moments of the lockout was when Dalhousie’s Student Union voted to stand in solidarity with the DFA on Sept. 2. 

“At the end of the day, we are professors, we are here to help our students learn and develop, to have the DSU recognize that was an empowering moment,” he says. “Right now, the DSU and the DFA are marching side by side for the recognition that this is a unique place where we learn and work together.”

The DSU and other independent students have been organizing their own events on campus to support the DFA, including peaceful protests, rallies and information sessions. 

Both Banerjee and Haslam say external support is crucial to keeping morale high amongst the DFA, as negotiations continue for a new collective agreement. 

“The community members, students, staff, they all know that this isn’t a selfish fight,” says Haslam. “The community recognizes that we are also fighting for the integrity of our classrooms.”

The DFA has organized events every Friday since the lockout began to energize workers and bring the association’s supporters together, according to Haslam.

On Sept. 12, the DFA brought picketers together with other supporters to march down University Avenue as “one Dalhousie.”

“What we hope to demonstrate is precisely what we’ve been talking about through all of this, that we are a community working together to create something called Dalhousie, which is made of people, not buildings,” says Haslam.