What is MUNFA?
What are the issues? What is this about?
Why should I care about these issues?
I heard there was a strike vote/meeting. Are professors going on strike?
What is happening right now with bargaining?
How would the administration’s desired changes affect me?
Is MUNFA going to go on strike? When?
What would a strike mean for me?
What can I do?
What if I have to cross the picket line?
I don’t want to cross the picket line — what are my options?
I work for a different union on campus, and I am going to have to cross the MUNFA picket line to get to work. What are my options?
What is MUNFA?
MUNFA (Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association) is the trade union representing around 850 faculty, librarians, counsellors, and co-operative and field educators at MUNL.
What are the issues? What is this about?
There’s a common saying in education unions, and it’s common because it’s true: teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. MUNFA has identified a number of changes that would improve working conditions for our members and that would also positively impact students. Some of these issues are: governance and transparency; equity, diversity, and inclusion; working conditions for contract instructors; faculty complement; climate action; and salary.
Why should I care about these issues?
When instructors are overworked and underpaid, and if their employment status is uncertain from one term to the next, it is harder for us to dedicate ourselves to teaching, research, and working with students. A more diverse faculty will be one that is better able to reflect and represent the students we teach. And when the university we work for refuses to commit to climate action or improvements in governance, these refusals directly impact students as well as instructors.
Contract faculty working conditions
At MUN, the number of instructors who are hired on a contract basis has been steadily increasing, meaning more and more of your teachers have no long-term job security. Instead of focusing their entire attention on their students and research, these instructors have to reapply for their jobs every 12, eight, or even four months — sometimes for 20 years on end.
Improvements to job security and instructors’ workload might seem like they are about making our jobs easier, but what they are really about is allowing MUNFA members to bring their best to their students and their research. The improvements MUNFA is fighting for would mean instructors are able to focus on working with students students rather than figuring out where they will work next term.
Climate action
MUNFA is fighting for commitments to climate action because we believe that every institution, including this university, needs to fight for a world that will be habitable and safe for future generations.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion
We want to make the university more inclusive and diverse than it is now, which is why we are pushing for stronger Indigenization efforts and a more inclusive workplace.
Governance and transparency
MUNL is the only university in Canada where faculty have no representation on the Board of Regents, the body responsible for looking after the business and operational affairs of the university. A functional university is one in which faculty and students understand why decisions are being made, and have input into those decisions. This is often not the case at MUNL — one recent example is the removal of the mask requirement on Oct. 4. Whether or not you agree with the administration’s decision to remove the requirement, we should all be concerned that this decision involved no input from students or workers, and that none of us received more than a few hours’ warning that this would happen. What other decisions is the administration making that impact our health and safety, without consulting us? MUNFA wants to change the administration’s approach to governance so that those who are affected by the administration’s decisions are able to participate in them.
Faculty complement
Essentially, you can think of this as a reference to tenured and tenure-track instructors being overworked. “Faculty complement” refers to the number of MUNL instructors who are either tenured or on track to achieve tenure (a form of job security for academics). The proportion of tenured and tenure-track instructors at MUNL, in comparison to contractual and per-course instructors, has been falling for years. This means that these workers have to shoulder a growing load of administrative duties and committee memberships that keep the university running, in addition to teaching and doing research. Improving faculty complement — that is, increasing the proportion of tenured and tenure-track instructors in relation to contract instructors — is a way to ensure that there are enough workers to do all of the work that needs to be done: that every class students need can be offered, that every instructor can devote their full attention to their students, and that the operations of the university for which faculty are crucial do not suffer.
Salary
MUNFA members have not received a collective raise since 2016, and in that time, inflation has eaten into worker’s wages by close to 18%. We have proposed a raise of 15% over the next four years — this means that the raise we are proposing is below the amount that inflation has already cut into our wages, let alone what will happen over the duration of our collective agreement. While we believe that all workers deserve raises that actually match inflation, we are fighting for a raise that will at least not set us back further.
Out of 15 universities MUNL’s administration likes to compare us to, we come second-last in terms of instructor pay. This is not sustainable if MUNL wants to attract and retain academics from around the country to provide students with the quality education you deserve. Salary increases are necessary to maintain the level of academic excellence that you deserve.
In early November, the administration presented its salary proposal — over the length of a normal four-year collective agreement, their proposal would increase salaries by 8%, as opposed to the 15% that MUNFA had proposed. Given the pressures of inflation, the need to attract and retain academics who can provide students with the best possible education, and the struggles that contract instructors face, this offer simply is not realistic.
I heard there was a strike vote/meeting. Are professors going on strike?
Members of the faculty union met last week to discuss a strike vote. We will vote on Wednesday — but a “yes” vote does not necessarily mean we are going on strike right away. As soon as there is more news to share, MUNFA and the student unions will share it with students.
What is happening right now with bargaining?
Right now, MUNFA and the administration are in conciliation. The two sides have met with a conciliator in September, October, and November. As of today (Nov. 30), MUNFA and the administration are in another conciliation meeting. MUNFA hopes to reach a deal during these meetings, and the bargaining team has made efforts to reach a compromise that will be acceptable to the administration without sacrificing the needs of our members. It is our hope that the administration will also try to make a deal that is fair for our members, and for students.
MUNFA’s collective agreement expired in August 2020, and we first met with the administration in Dec. 2021 to begin bargaining. We would have liked to have this settled before the 2022-23 school year started.
How would the administration’s desired changes affect me?
The administration’s proposals would be a major step back in working conditions for MUNFA members, and they would make students’ educations worse. Their proposal would lock MUNFA members into an unusually long contract (six years), meaning members could not substantially renegotiate their working conditions in that time. It would leave instructors’ salaries falling further and further behind inflation, which presents a significant problem especially for contract instructors
The administration has consistently rejected our climate proposals, our efforts to improve job security for the most vulnerable instructors, and our proposals to work toward more democratic governance of the university. They are pushing for a two-tiered benefits scheme that would make life harder for contract faculty.
Is MUNFA going to go on strike? When?
The honest answer is that it is impossible for MUNFA to know if and when a strike might happen. If the administration responds fairly to our proposals during the upcoming conciliation dates, we will be very happy to sign off on a new collective agreement and put this round of collective bargaining to bed. Even if that doesn’t happen, the process of moving from where we are now to an actual walk-out will take several weeks.
As to whether MUNFA members will have to go on strike during this round of bargaining, that is up to our employer — the administration — and whether or not they decide to respond fairly to our proposals.
What would a strike mean for me?
If MUNFA members go on strike, it would mean that the majority of classes (any classes taught by MUNFA members) would be cancelled for the duration of the strike. MUNFA members will hold picket lines at certain points around the university campus, and research being conducted under the supervision of MUNFA members will be suspended in almost all cases.
What can I do?
Whether you support MUNFA members or simply don’t want to see a strike happen, the most important thing you can do is ask the administration to get serious about reaching a deal. You can click here to fill out a form letter to the administration. Once you’ve sent one, you can also encourage your friends and family to send one. Check back at munfa.ca or follow your student union, MUNSU, for more information and actions.
Another thing you can do is post on social media! Share the form letter, and let the administration and faculty members know you support a fair deal. You can use the hashtag #FairDealAtMUN and tag us (@MUNFaculty), as well as university accounts. On Twitter tag @MemorialU, @GrenfellCampus, @LabradorCampus, @vianne_timmons. On Facebook tag @MemorialUniversity, @GrenfellCampus. On Instagram, tag @memorialuniversity, @grenfellcampus.
What if I have to cross the picket line?
MUNFA members understand that there are a few reasons why people will need to cross the picket line, including getting to and from work or classes. Some of these issues could be mitigated if the administration cancelled all classes in the event of a strike — this would mean many students and workers would not need to be put in this difficult position. Some people, including students living in residence and some workers, would have to cross the picket line regardless. MUNFA members understand this, and care will be taken to be respectful while operating effective pickets.
If you wish to display your solidarity with MUNFA members, students in St. John’s can get a “Students and faculty united” button from MUNSU’s office, or a yellow scarf from MUNFA. Information on solidarity symbols available at the Grenfell campus will be available soon.
It is important to remember that MUNFA members are not striking against other workers on campus, or against students. MUNFA members are striking the administration. All of these difficulties can be avoided if the administration helps MUNFA avert a strike. If you would like to encourage the administration to avert a strike, you can fill out this letter.
I don’t want to cross the picket line — what are my options?
MUNSU is calling on the university administration to not penalize students who are unwilling to cross a picket line. This is the case at some other universities in Canada. MUNFA stands in full support of MUNSU and students on campus, and views the decision to not cross a picket line as an important personal and political one that should not be coerced by an employer or school administration.
Many students are confused and worried about the university’s response to the request for academic amnesty. MUNFA asked the university to plan for this issue prior to job action. The administration declined to do so. MUNFA renews its call for the administration to commit and pledge academic amnesty for students. Holding students’ education hostage for the purpose of a labour dispute is an inappropriate response to the situation. MUNFA pledges support for academic amnesty for students who decide not to cross the picket lines.
If you do not want to cross the picket line and you have classes that are scheduled to continue in the event of a strike, you should get in touch with MUNSU or GCSU about your options.
I work for a different union on campus, and I am going to have to cross the MUNFA picket line to get to work. What are my options?
You should contact your local’s leadership to discuss your concerns and your options with them. MUNFA is in contact with other university unions, and we are working to get through this uncertain time together. You can also fill out this letter to the administration calling on them to make a deal that would avert or end a strike.
