McGill University law professors walked out on Monday, the first day of the first week of classes in the fall semester. The union representing them says the move is in response to the university’s anti-union tactics and refusal to negotiate in good faith.
Law professor Kirsten Anker says the McGill Law Professors Association wants to secure its first collective agreement and prevent the university from challenging its right to exist. The union was certified in November 2022 by the Administrative Labour Tribunal of Quebec, but that certification is being contested by the university.
“We just want to exist as a union,” she said in an interview Monday.
The union launched a temporary strike earlier this year during the grading period to avoid disrupting classes, but that failed to put enough pressure on McGill, Ms.me Anchor.
“That’s why we decided we had no choice but to block the start of the semester,” she said. “And that’s a serious disruption to McGill, there’s a risk that some students won’t pay their tuition. So we’re hoping that this time it’ll be enough pressure for them to take us seriously.”
Mme Anker, the union’s vice president, said the professors’ main demands are salaries and a desire for more power in faculty governance. The strike called Monday is open-ended, she added.
McGill said in an email that it was notified of the strike Sunday night, days after the province’s labour minister appointed an arbitrator in the case. The university filed for arbitration in June, according to court documents, after it deemed the conciliation process had failed.
The union challenged the arbitration order in court but failed earlier this month to obtain a stay until a hearing.me Anker reported that on Friday, the union agreed to arbitration on the wage issue on the condition that the university agree to sign a collective agreement on the other issues. But she claims McGill still refuses to hold a meeting.
“The university will do everything in its power to minimize the impact on students and we reiterate our respect for our valued colleagues in the Faculty of Law,” McGill said in a statement.
Mme Anker and the union, however, say the university is seeking arbitration as a delaying tactic until a judicial review of the union’s certification takes place in December.
“McGill’s overall strategy is to crush us as a union and make all the other unions that are forming in other faculties very unattractive,” Mr.me Anchor.
She added that union members have walked out twice before, but this is the first strike that has the potential to disrupt classes for an extended period.
First-year law students were due to begin with an orientation session on Monday, with classes scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
“We met with our first students this morning and we really want to assure them that this is not where we want to be,” said Mr.me Anker. We would rather be in class with them, doing what we love and what we do best.”
The union includes all full-time teachers who will not be teaching during the strike.
Mme Anker said some law classes are taught by part-time professors who are not affected by the strike, but the union has asked them not to cross the picket lines.