Mount Allison Faculty Association calls for special mediator to settle labour dispute
The Mount Allison Faculty Association (MAFA) has called for a special mediator to assist with negotiations in an effort to end the labour dispute at Mount Allison University.
Faculty and librarians have been on strike since January 27th. After three days of meetings held this week the parties were unable to break the impasse.
“We had hoped that the administration would be ready to negotiate with us,” said MAFA President Loralea Michaelis. “The strike is taking its toll on the university but its effect on the administration’s bargaining expectations has been negligible.”
Michaelis says that the administration has not altered its bargaining position since the strike began two weeks ago. “MAFA made significant moves to find a way through to a settlement, but we got nothing back from them,” she says.
To bring the strike to a conclusion, MAFA is proposing the appointment of a special mediator, usually someone from outside the province. “This helped at UNB and we think it can help at Mount Allison,” Michaelis said.
“MAFA believes in free collective bargaining. The best collective agreements are reached at the bargaining table, by negotiating.”
The administration is currently considering MAFA’s proposal for a special mediator.
“Right now it’s really just a question of finding who is available.”
Members of MAFA have been working without a contract since June 30, 2013.