For Immediate Release
NSCAD University Faculty Set Strike Deadline
(26 February 2019, Halifax/ Kjipuktuk , NS) Today the Faculty Association of NSCAD
(FUNSCAD) issued notice of a strike deadline for Friday, March 1, 2019 for FUNSCAD
Unit 1 members, which consists of faculty and librarians. Their current Collective
Agreement expired on June 30, 2018.
“We have spent months trying to get the university to bargain productively for a fair and
equitable collective agreement,” said FUNSCAD President Mathew Reichertz. “ Our requests
are reasonable and affordable. We want a fair and more equitable settlement that will bring
our working conditions closer to parity with teaching staff and librarians at other Nova Scotian
universities.”
FUNSCAD and representatives of the NSCAD Board of Governors began negotiations for a
new collective agreement for faculty and librarians in September. After 18 meetings, held
between September 7 and December 19, when an agreement had not yet been reached, the
union applied for the assistance of a provincial conciliator.
Three meetings with the conciliator were held on January 28, 30 and February 6, when it
seemed that the two sides had reached an impasse. Nevertheless, both sides returned for
additional sessions with the conciliator on February 19 and 25; meetings adjourned
yesterday without the two sides coming to agreement.
Union members have voted 97.5% in favour of a strike.
“Our members have made it clear they will not back down in the face of an employer who
refuses to bargain reasonably,” said Reichertz. “We do not take the step towards job action
lightly. We recognize that this is extremely stressful for students and other staff.”
“We are disappointed that the administration’s refusal to negotiate has led to this point, but we
are committed to fighting for a contract that recognizes that NSCAD University cannot continue
sustainably without investing appropriately in its faculty. Our members’ sacrifices have helped
NSCAD to address its previous financial problems, but NSCAD is solidly in the black now.”
FUNSCAD has indicated that its negotiating team remains willing to engage in productive
bargaining, and hopes the university administration will return to the table ready to make the
moves that will lead to a fair agreement.
FUNSCAD is the certified bargaining agent for 95 full-time, pro-rated and regular part-time
faculty and librarians.
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Contact: Mathew Reichertz, FUNSCAD President
Faculty Union of the Nova Scotia College of Art and
Design 902-494-8191, [email protected]
www.funscad.ca