The shadow of the strike hangs over the campus of Université Laval (UL). Faced with the deadlock in negotiations and the university’s “systematic refusal” to accede to their demands for the renewal of their collective agreement, the 630 professors at the Quebec institution adopted a mandate of two-week strike, from February 20 to March 3.
The mobilization takes on a historic character since no general meeting had succeeded, since the creation of the Union of Professors and Professors of Laval University (SPUL) in 1976, to bring together more than 50% of the members.
If negotiations break down over the next few weeks, the union is threatening to call a two-week strike. Saying that they are “well aware of the significant impact of a strike […] on the life of students”, the union opens the door to “accelerate the negotiations” with a view to finding common ground by February 20.
The SPUL issued an ultimatum: “Laval University now has one month to avoid a strike”.
Protecting Academic Freedom
The union demands, listed in a 20-page book presented last May 27 to the administration, require a reduction in the workload, in addition to better work-family balance for parents and caregivers.
UL professors are also asking for a “substantial” increase in salary scales to adjust them to inflation, in addition to an adjustment of remuneration to balance it with that granted in comparable universities. The union members also want to deny their employer the right to claim the amounts collected in excess by mistake.
The SPUL also wants to strengthen the protection and autonomy of the teaching staff, in particular by preventing the university from consulting their emails without a valid reason. The union also asks to eliminate the “duty of loyalty and civility of professors” towards their employer, under the pretext that Laval University “limits more than any other university in Quebec the scope of academic freedom” by invoking this obligation.
Professors also demand fair and equitable treatment in the event of a complaint against them. Their union wants in particular to “eliminate any possibility of imposing a sanction in situations where no signed and dated complaint has been filed and in the absence of an allegation of serious misconduct. »
The notion of “repeated negligence”, too vague in the eyes of the SPUL, should no longer be enough to dismiss or suspend a professor. Only professional misconduct or serious misconduct should lead to these sanctions, according to the union.
Further details will follow.