University of Manitoba faculty to vote on potential strike action
Posted February 5, 2025 12:42 pm.
Last Updated February 5, 2025 4:56 pm.
Faculty at the University of Manitoba will soon vote on whether or not to strike.
Those at the front of the classroom and working the school’s libraries will all be casting their vote from Feb. 5 to Feb. 7 to determine whether or not the University of Manitoba Faculty Association – which represents more than 1,300 professors – will be headed to the picket line.
“Professors, instructors, and librarians at Manitoba’s only research-intensive university need wages that keep up with inflation and are competitive with Canada’s other research universities,” said University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) president Erik Thomson in a news release.
“Students come to the University of Manitoba to learn from our members, and Manitobans benefit from the research of our members. We want to continue offering world-class programs and research for those students, and the larger community the university serves – but we need competitive salaries to do so.”
In a written statement, the University of Manitoba administration says it’s hoping to avoid a strike through ongoing talks.
“The university continues to bargain in good faith with UMFA, with the intention of concluding a collective agreement without a labour disruption.”
Bargaining between the University of Manitoba and UMFA is set to resume on Feb. 10, with UMFA leadership saying the school is failing to recognize the value of its teaching and research staff.
“The administration needs to recognize the contributions of our members to students’ learning conditions, and the contributions of our members to the future of Manitoba,” said UMFA vice-president Jenna Tichon in the release. “The administration needs to come to the bargaining table with a competitive salary offer.”
