Windsor admin turns to local media in labour dispute

The faculty and library worker’s strike at the University of Windsor has taken a nasty turn this week as the administration of the university turned to the public to win support for their position. This culminated in a full-page ad that was published in local media Wednesday.

The advertisement argues that the strike is about money and reveals details about current faculty pay and the university’s offer. The ad says that currently professors make $132,493 on average, which would be bumped to an average of $150,046 in three years under the university’s offer. According to the memo (which you can view below), the university’s offer would mean for a 14 per cent raise over three years.

The strike has kept 12,000 students out of class since September 17. Hundreds of students showed up at a board of governors meeting Wednesday to demand an end to the strike.

The University of Windsor Faculty Association said that it would not negotiate through the media. Brian Brown, president of the union, told the Windsor Star that the administration has not responded to their requests to get back to the negotiating table. A union statement released yesterday also said that the advertisement misrepresented the dispute and that there are many other issues to negotiate aside from salary.

“It is public money and people have a right to know what efforts we are making to get the negotiations going,” university president Alan Wildeman said, arguing that the university was right in publishing the contract offer.

Below is the University of Windsor advertisement (as published on the university website).

You can read the union’s response HERE.