Faculty members represented by the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of giving their bargaining team a strike mandate as contract negotiations with Western University continue. UWOFA said 91.8 per cent of members voted in favour of further action, if necessary, in a vote held Sept. 14 to 17. The association said the result provides a strong mandate for its negotiating team as talks with the university continue. The union emphasized that the vote does not mean faculty members are going on strike. Instead, it allows the bargaining team to continue negotiations while keeping options, including potential strike action, available should they be needed. According to UWOFA, the parties have met 20 times since bargaining began in June. The association said negotiations have now moved into conciliation, with additional bargaining dates scheduled through the end of October. UWOFA President Kim Verwaayen said the strong vote demonstrates members’ confidence in the negotiating team and support for its efforts at the bargaining table. “The strong result of the strike vote, 91.8 per cent yes, attests powerfully to our confidence in and support for our stellar negotiating team,” Verwaayen said in a statement. Verwaayen added that the vote reflects faculty members’ desire to secure a fair agreement that recognizes their work. Western University has not publicly commented on the strike vote. Negotiations between the university and UWOFA are continuing. UWOFA bargaining priorities Pay and benefits: UWOFA says it is seeking compensation that keeps pace with inflation and reflects the cost of living, as well as improvements to benefits that have not kept pace with the cost of care. For example, the current benefit plan only provides $15 per visit toward physiotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and other paramedical services. Sustainable workloads: The UWOFA says faculty work extends well beyond time in the classroom. At a research-intensive university like Western, faculty balance teaching with research, student supervision, and service. UWOFA is seeking workload provisions that clearly state responsibilities, including a clear list of duties that should not be assigned to faculty, helping ensure work is appropriately distributed across the university. Security for contract faculty: According to UWOFA, contract faculty are an important part of teaching at Western, but many face uncertainty about whether they will continue to have work from one term or year to the next. UWOFA says it is seeking greater job security and more predictable employment for contract faculty.
