Strike over, but strife remains at Laurentian

A three-week strike at Laurentian University gave faculty a hard-won a salary increase, but did not convince the university to bring the pension plan into line with the union’s demands. 

Faculty at Laurentian accepted the “take it or leave it” offer from the Board of Governors on Feb. 8, ending the strike that had professors walking picket lines in frigid weather. By a 74 per cent majority, members of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) voted to accept a three-year contract with a 4.25 per cent annual salary increase and bonuses for full-time employees. Lecturers will receive increases of 4 per cent in the first two years and 2 per cent in the final year. 

LUFA’s demands focused mainly on wages, workloads, and a return to a defined-benefit pension plan — all issues affected by the university’s financial restructuring and unprecedented cutbacks. 

“Our members have suffered years of program cuts, job losses and wage rollbacks,” said LUFA president Fabrice Colin, adding that sacrifices included a 2.2 per cent salary reduction from 2020 to 2025 as well as the loss of two years’ seniority and 15 days’ salary. The pension plan also remains a sticking point. “It was made into a defined-contribution plan. We want it turned back into a defined-benefit plan, which is becoming the norm for the sector in Ontario.” 

Dr. Colin says the agreement is “a small step toward fairness,” but does not rebuild trust or close the gap with other universities in the province. In addition, he decries the Ontario government’s interference with the bargaining process, which led to an unfair labour practice complaint and a court challenge now under way.   

LUFA members also held a vote of no confidence in the Board of Governors and senior management, demanding resignations. 

Interim provost and vice-president academic Alain Simard commented on the situation, saying, “The 2021–2022 crisis was extremely difficult for the whole university community and weakened trust in the institution.” 

He said the fallout is still being felt. “Faculty had hoped to recover all their losses, but even though Laurentian is now in a fairly stable position compared with other universities, the financial after-effects are still with usand we’re not entirely finished with the process.” 

Dr. Simard said there was no direct interference by the Ontario government in the bargaining or any strike-related decisions. “The role of the government was confined to approving budget projections and making sure the financial requirements were met, which is normal for any university. Although the government provided a loan enabling Laurentian to keep operating, but it does not influence the institution’s internal decisions.” 

He concluded: “I’d say one of our top priorities over the next few years is to restore the trust that’s been shaken by recent events. Personally, I hope this will translate into more communication so everyone has the information they need to understand complex financial and organizational situations.” 

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