University of Manitoba faculty to hold strike vote next week

Members of the University of Manitoba Faculty Association are holding a vote next week to decide if they should go on strike or not.

The association, which represents some 1,200 professors, instructors and librarians, is concerned about management at the university, workloads and pay.

Members voted in favour of calling a strike vote at a meeting Tuesday night. About 200 people attended the meeting.

• University of Manitoba strike averted at last minute

"People are just not having enough time because of additions to their workload," said University of Manitoba Faculty Association president Mark Hudson.

"We're doing this because we love the University of Manitoba. It's the institution to which we've dedicated our careers."

University of Manitoba spokesman John Danakas said the university has made numerous attempts to a reach a settlement with the faculty association in recent months.

Those attempts include an offer to raise pay by seven per cent over the next four years, Danakas said in an email Wednesday afternoon.

This isn't the first time the association has threatened to strike. In 2013, the university narrowly averted a strike at the last hour over similar issues.

Hudson said if faculty vote to strike, the association would give the university a deadline of when negotiations need to be met for it to not strike.

If staff do go on strike, students at the university's Bannatyne and Fort Garry campuses would be affected.

Faculty members will vote whether to strike or not from Oct. 11toOct. 13 next week.