Students Walkout in Support of Precarious Academic Workers at Dalhousie

Part-Time Academics, Teaching Assistants, Markers, and Demonstrators have been on strike since October 19, 2022

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On October 31, 2022 at 12 p.m., students hold a walkout in support of part-time academics, teaching assistants, markers and demonstrators who are striking for fair wages at Dalhousie University (Dal). The striking precarious academics are members of CUPE 3912.

“We have been receiving overwhelming support from students and other staff,” says Cameron Ells, president of CUPE 3912. “Students want to send a clear message to the Dal Board of Governors and management that they should return to the bargaining table and offer CUPE 3912 members fair wages.”

LOCATION:	Studley Quad, Dalhousie University, Halifax (map)
TIME:	Monday, October 31, at 12 p.m.

The main issue is wages. Dal has been paying CUPE 3912 members substantially less than other comparable Canadian research universities (U15) have paid for comparable work. The wage gap was evident already in 2019, when the CUPE 3912 members received their last raise. Due to inflation, this wage gap has worsened considerably in the three years since.

“Despite soaring inflation, we have not received even a basic cost of living raise for over three years,” said Dr. Gabor Lukacs, Communications Officer of CUPE 3912. “The cost of living in Nova Scotia is high and getting higher, but wages have not kept up. We have members who are resorting to food banks while working and studying full-time,“ he added.

Dal is offering a wage increase that is well below inflation, and CUPE 3912 members will not accept a pay cut.

For strike updates, please visit cupe3912.ca/bargaining/dalhousie/updates.

Now entering the third week of the strike, the 1,500 members of CUPE 3912 resume picket lines at 8 a.m. on Monday.

:sm/cope 491