Strike-lockout at Brandon U halts classes

A strike-lockout at Manitoba’s Brandon University meant students were facing classrooms without professors Monday.Teaching staff walked off the job at 8 a.m. just before the university locked them out. University vice-president Scott Lamont said the lockout prevented staff from crossing the picket line and so avoided confusion about which classes were still on.

The university was still open to students and mediation talks were planned for Tuesday.

Almost 85 per cent of the faculty association’s 230 members voted to go on strike over wages and pensions after two days of conciliation talks with the board of governors failed.

The last strike at the institution was 10 years ago when faculty members walked off the job for three days.

-with a report from CP