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Members of the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) are set to vote on strike action from Wednesday through Friday, as they push for wage increases that keep pace with inflation and help retain talent in the province.
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The vote comes after months of stalled negotiations between UMFA and the University of Manitoba administration. Professors, instructors, and librarians, represented by UMFA, are seeking salary adjustments to maintain competitiveness with other research universities across Canada.
Dr. Erik Thomson, President of UMFA, emphasized the need for better compensation to retain skilled educators and researchers.
“Professors, instructors, and librarians at Manitoba’s only research-intensive university need wages that keep up with inflation and are competitive with Canada’s other research universities,” Thomson said in a press release on Wednesday. “Students come to the University of Manitoba to learn from our members, and Manitobans benefit from the research of our members. We want to continue offering world-class programs and research for those students, and the larger community the university serves – but we need competitive salaries to do so.”
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With more than 1,300 members, UMFA represents professors, instructors, librarians, coaches and counsellors. The union’s collective agreement expired in March 2023 and UMFA said ongoing salary proposals from the administration have not addressed inflationary pressures or improved competitiveness. According to Thomson, faculty salaries at the University of Manitoba are the second-lowest among Canada’s 15 research-intensive universities and are falling further behind.
“The administration needs to recognize the contributions of our members to students’ learning conditions, and the contributions of our members to the future of Manitoba. The administration needs to come to the bargaining table with a competitive salary offer,” Dr. Jenna Tichon, UMFA vice president said.
Bargaining sessions between UMFA and the University of Manitoba administration are scheduled to resume on Friday.
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