Con U Part-time faculty post strike mandate

Members of Concordia's Part-Time Teachers Union met over the weekend to vote on paving the way for a potential strike.

The Gazette's Karen Seidman reported on Monday that the Concordia University Part-time Faculty Association has voted in favour for a strike mandate.

Association president Maria Peluso says the mandate was a symbolic action to express their frustration with the University's management after a decade of contract disputes. This includes a recent collective agreement that was not well implemented.

She says the union does not wish to hurt people, but will not hesitate to take a stand.

The potential for a strike comes at a time when Concordia's new president Alan Shepard has recently taken office.

Peluso hopes that Shepard will be able to use his leadership to change some of the tension among part-time faculty.

The situation with the Part-Time faculty union is part of the broader union conflict with University management, where the Union for Teaching and Research Assistants at Concordia and the Concordia University Support Staff Union are also looking at their options for a strike or negotiation.

Flickr Photo by: Viola Ng

STORY WRITTEN BY: SATURN DE LOS ANGELES