Thousands of students are waiting to see who will blink first as the labour dispute between the Vancouver Island University Faculty Association and university administration settled into a stand off Friday and is expected to last through the weekend.
Dan McDonald, faculty association president, said talks struck up Thursday afternoon with a government-appointed mediator, but stalled out about 9 p.m.
Faculty are holding out to have a no layoff clause included in a new contract.
“The employer really doesn’t want to talk about our major issue, which is job security,” McDonald said. “The sides are still too far apart, so [the mediator] booked out and suggested there needed to be a bit of time here.”
No talks were scheduled for Friday or the weekend and picket lines are expected to stay up over the weekend.
Talks might resume Monday, McDonald said, if the administration is willing to discuss improving job security for faculty.
McDonald said professors have been worried about losing jobs over the past three years, but he could not say how many, if any, had actually been laid off.
Toni O’Keeffe, VIU spokeswoman, said no official announcements have been made out about any layoffs, but some can be expected when the university’s new budget is presented to the board of directors May 26.
“We don’t know what that is going to look like yet,” O’Keeffe said. “What we do know is that there will be some reductions. We’re not anticipating the volume some people might be predicting.”
She said the university would release any budget information that becomes available before May 26, but deans and directors are still compiling budget data for their departments.
She said the both parties are open to talking over the weekend and the VIUFA picket lines were moved Friday to allow the university’s international high school to continue holding classes.
“That demonstrates the willingness of the parties to cooperate and that’s a good thing,” O’Keeffe said.
Professors started picketing Thursday morning.
