The University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) is concerned about the possibility of faculty members going on strike.
On Thursday, the University of Regina Faculty Association (URFA) said it wasn’t able to reach an agreement with administration at their last negotiation meeting. The group could take job action as soon as March 28.
URSU is concerned about what that job action could mean for students finishing out their winter semester. URSU President Shawn Wiskar said students who are graduating or studying abroad would face the biggest impact from a strike.
Delaying graduation could put employment opportunities in jeopardy for some, Wiskar said. A strike could also affect international students’ Visas for studying in Canada.
URSU added it isn’t supporting either URFA or university administration, but hopes the two sides will come to an agreement benefitting the student body.
“We’re really hopeful a deal will be reached before the deadline,” Wiskar said. “Looking at the final offer from the university and the concessions made by the faculty, it doesn’t look like they are that far off. So, we are telling them to go in there, put in the hard work and do it for the students.”
There are bargaining dates scheduled for March 25 and 26 after the conclusion of a “cooling off” period for negotiations.
URFA would need to give 24 hours’ notice for any job action.
