Fifty-five university librarians and archivists represented by the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association will be in a legal strike position this weekend.
The University of Western Ontario has been in negotiations with UWOFA-LA (Librarians and Archivists) since May to renew the group’s first contract, which ended July 1.
On Oct. 9, UWOFA-LA requested and was granted a “no-board” report, meaning it will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. Conciliation meetings continued this week and were scheduled to run until Friday.
“Librarians and archivists play a very important role at Western, and the university remains hopeful that a settlement will be reached,” says Alan Weedon, Vice-Provost (Academic Planning, Policy and Faculty). “In the circumstance that a settlement is not reached, plans are in place to minimize service disruptions in the event of a labour disruption.
“Nobody wants a strike,” says UWOFA president Regna Darnell. “We will be negotiating in good faith up to the strike deadline. Whether we reach a settlement depends on the response of the employer.”
Darnell says the main issues raised by those negotiating on behalf of librarians and archivists revolve around the university recognizing and respecting the professional stature of the librarians and archivists.
“Arbitrary reassignment, deskilling of expertise, fairness and transparency of evaluation and salary/benefits are the key issues remaining to be resolved,” she says.
In a recent publication, The Globe and Mail ranked Western as the best library in Canada, alongside only Toronto and McGill, “yet we are the worst paid university library in the country,” she adds.
The university is putting a number of plans in place to minimize disruption to students, employees and the community. It is expected that all campus libraries will remain open and most services will be available.
All university employees who are not members of UWOFA-LA will be required to report to work as usual in the event of a labour disruption, and students will be required to attend all classes and exams as usual.
According to the university, when passing through picket lines, employees, students and visitors should:
*Be courteous if delayed or questioned by picketers.
*If challenged, assert your position as a non-striking employee or student, and express your intention to exercise your legal right to work or attend class.
*Avoid arguments and confrontations.
*Contact Campus Community Police Services at 519-661-3300 if safety concerns arise.
Visit www.uwo.ca for up-to-date information.