Contract negotiations resume between Vancouver Island University administration and striking professors Saturday (March 19).
The VIU Faculty Association has been on strike since March 10 after negotiations broke down earlier last week.
Dan McDonald, faculty association president, said both parties had an hour-long conference call with a government-appointed mediator Thursday to discuss returning to the table and the mediator will meet with them on Saturday at 10 a.m. to resume negotiations.
“Somewhere there must be an agreement that both parties can live with,” he said. “Job security is still the most important issue for my members.”
Professors are concerned about layoffs and the association wants administrators to prove that there is a legitimate financial reason for each layoff or program reduction before making the cut, said McDonald.
Toni O’Keeffe, VIU spokeswoman, said the university hopes for positive news after Saturday’s meeting.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed,” she said.
O’Keeffe said if both parties come to an agreement over the weekend, the university will still give students a minimum of 24 hours notice before classes restart.
“We know that people need time to mobilize,” she said.
