By Ethan Ready

No deal yet as strike continues

University to consider extending semester if deal not met by Dec. 3rd

Nov 24, 2019 | 9:18 AM

PRINCE GEORGE – The University of British Columbia says they have committed to providing a non-refundable financial credit for all students affected by the strike.

While the value of this credit depends on the length of the strike, the University states the credit will be determined once an agreement is reached and students will be communicated with details of that credit via email.

The University has provided information about what may happen when a deal is finally reached.

If Faculty were to return to teaching after Monday, November 25, 2019, but on or before Monday, December 3, 2019, then UNBC would plan to extend the teaching semester to December 14, 2019, which is the last scheduled day of exams.

If this were to be the case, the University says they would consider either cancelling the exam period entirely and instead rely on in-class assessments completed within this extended instructional period, or provide for a reduced exam schedule early in the new year. This could include minor delays to the start of the winter semester.

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If the faculty do not return to teaching before December 3, 2019, UNBC would then consider extending this semester into the new year, and delaying the start of the winter semester.

The University says other options are currently being considered. However, until an agreement is in place and Faculty members resume their teaching responsibilities, the institution is unable to provide a final plan and timeframe for the completion of the semester at this time.

Members of the UNBC’s Faculty Association met on Saturday morning to discuss ongoing negotiations between the UNBCFA bargaining team and their employer.

Faculty commenced job action 18 days ago when talks between the parties reached a standstill after eight months of bargaining. The collective agreement between the parties ended on June 30, 2019.

Since the strike began, the union believes the Employer has been engaging in practices that led to unnecessary bargaining delays.

“Delays of any kind in collective bargaining are unfortunate,” said Stephen Rader, President of the UNBCFA. “But we are now reaching a point of no return for the semester and we are extremely worried about our students.”

Both parties continue to engage in discussions at the bargaining table, however, a formal deal has not yet been reached. For this reason, the University has gone ahead and has said that there will be no classes running Monday, November 25, 2019.

If there are any changes to this status, updates will be provided by UNBC through the institution’s website and email.