In the interest of keeping you informed in the event of a strike, we have compiled below facts on what would happen in the event of a strike and related matters. The last (3rd) collective agreement was secured only after a strike vote on the part of LUMUN Members showed high support for a strike.

For a response to Memorial University’s Newsline post on February 27th please see Afraid of a Strike? LUMUN’s Response to Memorial’s Newsline Bargaining Proposal.

Take action to support Lecturers by sending a message.

Please take a few minutes to review the information below and share it with other LUMUN Members so they are informed.

Should you have any further questions please reach out to us at lumuninfo@mun.ca

What is the cause of the current bargaining impasse?

The cause of the bargaining impasse is the failure of the University to provide us with a fair financial package after huge delays. Our last collective agreement expired in 2020, 4 years ago, and a year ago LUMUN had to use conciliation as the only way to even get the University to the table.

We have been in conciliation for a year now and last November presented the University with the union’s financial proposal but did not receive their financial package for months despite giving them multiple times to present one. The package presented by the University, after they finally presented one, barely accounted for inflation – that’s when LUMUN Instructors are already poorly paid.

The University is very clearly delaying at this point and we are not willing to further sacrifice LUMUN members’ rights.

You can find out more in a recent media release on the issue.

This is a serious issue, LUMUN members are massively underpaid as you know. Meanwhile senior administration at Memorial University have given themselves massive bonuses and are spending in a way that does not put education first as was revealed in a recent Auditor General’s report. You can find out more about that on our website.

Does Memorial have the capacity to pay Lecturers fairly?

Yes! 

Memorial University administrators’ salaries per student are the highest in Canada at $2,369 per student (while the next highest salary in Canada is only $1,994 per student). That’s a huge amount of money going to senior administrators for every class taught, while very little goes to the lecturer teaching it. It is clear that that the resources exist to pay Lecturers fairly.

And what are the administration doing with the money they are getting? They have given themselves huge bonuses, and are spending money on frivolous activities or duplicated work (in one case spending more money on a single party with alcohol than is paid to a Lecturer for a whole course). They have been spending like this yet they have failed to prioritize education.

This is while infrastructure at the school crumbles and Lecturers have to work on near minimum wages when accounting for the time spent on work that actually goes into teaching a course.

What else has the Bargaining Team been asking for?

Better working conditions, protecting seniority and privacy, transparency, and a clear process for dealing with investigations and discipline. The Grievance Committee has had to deal with the Employer violations of discipline and privacy clauses and there is no process in place for investigations. Evaluations have been used for punitive purposes rather than the enrichment and positive guidance and support of teaching. The Administration has also accessed course shells in violation of the policy on accessing these on multiple occasions without notice to members.

Is there a limit to the time that strike pay will be paid by CAUT?

No, your strike pay is covered indefinitely.

What is the amount of strike pay a member will receive?

Strike pay will be $100 a day per member 7 days a week, until the strike is over; this is not taxable.

Who would receive strike pay?

Only LUMUN PCIs who are currently working are the ones who can receive strike pay, and shall receive pay even if working other jobs on campus or if they are both PCIs and Postdocs simultaneously.

If you are a Postdoctoral Fellow or are working other jobs on campus please see the sections below for more details. Postdoctoral Fellows can cross the picket lines to do their postdoctoral work as they would not be on strike but they can support Per Course Instructors by also joining the picket lines; however, Postdocs who also teach as Per Course Instructors would discontinue their teaching work. Members can cross the picket lines to work other jobs on campus – but not PCI teaching.

If we vote in favour of a strike does that mean we go on strike?

No, a strike mandate gives your bargaining team power in negotiations with the University. We continue to hope that the University will come to the table with a fair financial package. Voting in favour of a strike gives us that mandate.

It’s important for us to state again that the last collective agreement was secured only after a strike vote on the part of LUMUN Members showed high support for a strike.

What can we say to our students?

Give them the facts of our working conditions as they are student learning conditions. If Memorial University wants to prioritize education then they must treat their instructors fairly and pay them adequately. Failing to do this hurts students.

The MUNSU students’ union have already declared support for LUMUN in regards to what is happening, find out more about that on our website.

What do full-time faculty say?

MUNFA has also declared support for LUMUN in this situation and we have already been in contact with both MUNFA and MUNSU to coordinate.

What % of those eligible to vote is needed for a strike to be called?

50% plus 1 would be needed. Last time it was 97%. Good participation and a good % of yes votes provide strong support for future negotiations. We have no obligation to provide the numbers of a strike vote.

Is there a set time that a strike must be held after a successful strike mandate?

No

If I am  working at another job on campus, can I cross the picket lines to work at that other job?

Yes, members can cross the picket lines to work other jobs on campus – but not PCI teaching. You can also join members on in-person and virtual picket lines when not working at other jobs.

Can Postdoctoral Fellows cross the picket lines?

Yes, they can to do their postdoctoral work work as they would not be on strike but they can support Per Course Instructors by also joining the picket lines; however, postdocs who also teach as per course instructors would discontinue their teaching work.

Who can vote?

Members who are currently teaching as Per Course Instructors are the members who can vote.

Does LUMUN’s financial package include retroactive pay for members?

Yes

If the semester ends and LUMUN is still on strike, what happens?

Members will receive strike pay for as long as the strike goes on past
the semester.

After the strike, will the University expect PCIs to do work on our Winter courses after the usual end of the semester?

If they do expect us to perform such late work, they should pay us for the time we work; otherwise, they’d be asking us to work for free.