Updated: February 8, 2024

Strike protocols are to be followed by full-time faculty, librarians and lab instructors (members of the MSVUFA) in the event of a strike and include things such as payment and benefits and email and campus access for striking members.

The strike protocols cannot capture all scenarios and, as such, exemptions will be considered.  Full-time faculty, librarians and lab instructors should send their exemption requests to one of the following:
– Dr. Lori Francis, Vice-President Academic and Provost: lori.francis@msvu.ca
– Isabelle Nault, Vice-President Administration: isabelle.nault@msvu.ca

Strike Protocols

An impasse has been declared in the collective bargaining process, and the subsequent conciliation between the MSVU Board of Governors and the MSVUFA.

Below are the protocols and expectations for work stoppage:

MSVU Campus access

1. Striking members will be prohibited access to the following building and areas:

• All parking areas on campus
• Academic and Administrative Buildings (including the library)
• Dining Halls and Cafes
• Rosaria Student Centre (including the bookstore and Athletic Facilities)
• Student Residences

2. Striking members will be granted access to the following building and areas:

• Health clinic in Assisi Hall
• Child Study Centre (for drop off and pick up of children only)
• Removal of personal belonging should take place prior to the start of strike action. If a need arises, requests to retrieve personal belongings during a strike will be considered with written request to the Vice-President Administration

3. Picketing:

• Picketing will not be permitted on campus, except as noted in Item 5.
• The residences and property of MSVU personnel will not be subject to picketing.
• Vehicles or individuals entering Mount Saint Vincent University will not be unnecessarily delayed due to picketing activity. Although slowing the entry of vehicles to campus is a common practice during labour disputes, the University does not have jurisdiction over Bedford Highway.

4. Seton Road is a private road. The Owner has been notified and confirm that they will not allow blocking access to the road or picketing on Seton Road.

5. As building access is prohibited, the striking union may opt to provide and pay for an ablution trailer. Space in the parking lot in front of EMF has been identified and will be reserved for this function. Portable toilets will not be permitted on MSVU property.

Information Technology

6. Access to MSVU email and Microsoft 365 accounts will continue.

7. Access to Help Desk will only be via email or phone, not in person.

Payment and Benefits

8. Payment of salaries, including stipends, allowances and contributions to the MSVU Retirement Plan, will be discontinued effective from the last active day at work.

9. The following benefits will be discontinued starting the first day of work stoppage:

• sick leave
• vacation leave
• statutory and MSVU proclaimed holidays

10. The following benefits will be continued, but the Employer will invoice the Faculty Association for the cost of maintaining the coverage for the duration of the work stoppage:

• Health and dental
• Life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)

These benefits will be continued for up to 31 days. Any further extension would require contractual agreement with our service providers.

11. The following benefits will be continued during work stoppage:

• pregnancy and parental leaves
• long term disability (LTD) coverage for those who are on LTD prior to the start of the strike.

12. Faculty members currently on sabbatical are not considered to be on a leave of absence; therefore, they will be considered as being on strike and subject to these protocols. Members on sabbatical whose research activities and/or location prevent their participation in strike action should contact the Vice President, Academic and Provost to request an exception.

Research

13. MSVUFA members will be permitted access to certain University Facilities, upon approval, to provide care and upkeep for animals, plants, cultures, and/or instrumentation used in research
and/or teaching. For Animal Care purposes, ACC.SOP.011 – Animal Research during Labour Action – will be in effect during a strike. All other requests for laboratory access will also follow the
process outlined in ACC.SOP.011. Written proof of permission to access University Facilities is to be kept with members while they are on campus. A list of members with approved access will be provided to the MSVUFA President and updated weekly.

14. All members who work with chemicals or biologicals will provide a current inventory to the Research Office for emergency response purposes.

15. Research staff, including student employees, who are employed on contract by members, will be paid their biweekly salary unless the payroll office receives written notice to discontinue payment from the employing member. Such notice must include the names of all affected employees and the effective dates for the suspension of pay. Members are responsible for notifying their research staff of such a change.

16. Paid research staff may access campus and perform their work provided they can do so independently and without increased health and safety or regulatory concerns. If their work involves laboratory or field research procedures or human participants and their data, the Principal Investigator or Supervisor, must contact the AVP, Research to request a review. All active and pending ACC/REB files will be paused for the duration of the labour action. To continue research under a previously approved REB or ACC protocol, a change to research study personnel (REB.FORM.014) request identifying a new research supervisor must be submitted to the Research Office for review by the Research Ethics Coordinator. Researchers should ensure prior to requesting any changes to personnel that the request complies with funding eligibility criteria.

17. No internal research applications will be processed during a strike. Any affected deadlines for internal grants and awards will be extended accordingly.

18. Members who plan to submit applications to external grant or award agencies with competition deadlines during a strike should notify the Research Office.

19. Expense claims will not be processed during a strike. If a member attends meetings or conferences during the strike, they are still considered on strike and will not be paid salary. Expense claims for such activities will be processed after the labour action.

20. Timelines under the expired collective agreement including those related to Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure, and Grievance will be suspended during the strike. Required adjustments will be addressed after the labour disruption.