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A strike at the University of Ottawa has been averted after the union representing faculty members and the university reached an agreement in principle.
More than 80 per cent of the members of the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (AUPO) who cast a ballot in November were in favour of a strike.
However, both parties agreed to conciliation, and that neither side would call for a no-board report until Jan. 15. That meant APUO couldn’t strike and the university can’t impose a lockout during the fall school term.
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On the morning of Jan. 20, APUO announced that it had reached the two-year tentative agreement after three days of conciliation. Details of the agreement have not been released.
The agreement will be presented to the union’s membership in coming weeks, followed by a ratification vote, said APUO.
“Over the past seven months, we have demonstrated our collective strength and our ability to intensify the fight to defend the mission of our university,” said APUO president Dimitri Karmis in a statement.
The union, which represents full-time professors and librarians, has about 1,300 members. It does not represent other academic staff, such as teaching assistants, researchers and sessional lecturers.
Collective bargaining began on June 12, 2024. In August, the APUO filed for conciliation and proposed a full day of mediation, which took place on Oct. 17. In October, almost three-quarters of APUO members signed a petition calling on the university to engage with its proposals. The strike vote was held Nov. 14.
APUO has argued that uOttawa has one of the highest student-to-professor ratios in Ontario and workload is the top issue.
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