Academic workers at Dalhousie ratify tentative agreement

HALIFAX/KJIPUKTUK, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Academic workers at Dalhousie University, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3912, voted to ratify a new collective agreement on October 30. CUPE 3912 reached a tentative agreement with Dalhousie University on October 20.

“We are proud of what we have achieved for academic workers at Dalhousie University, and for the entire Dalhousie community,” said Lauren McKenzie, President of CUPE 3912. “When workers win at the bargaining table, everybody wins.”

CUPE 3912 members achieved significant improvements to wages and job security—key issues for academic workers at Dalhousie as well as 3912 members at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) and Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), currently on strike. The new agreement also includes improvements to professional development provisions and the removal of Marker/Demonstrator job category as of the 2026-2027 academic year.

“The Marker/Demonstrator job category is an important win for us at Dal because this job category was being used to devalue the labour of academic workers, as well as undermining other members of our union,” said Larissa Atkison, CUPE 3912 Vice President and part time instructor at Dalhousie.

Markers and demonstrators were being assigned TA work, despite being paid at a much lower wage.

CUPE 3912 represents over 4,000 academic workers at Dalhousie, including part time faculty, teaching assistants, markers, and demonstrators.

Part time faculty at MSVU and SMU have been on strike since October 22 and October 23, respectively.

“Our employers use us to promote their institutions to current and prospective students, while trying to push workers further into precarity and financial insecurity,” continued McKenzie.

“Students need experienced and qualified instructors. Workers deserve fair wages. This deal with Dal represents a step towards protecting high-quality university education in this province. We’re not just fighting for workers; we’re fighting for Nova Scotia. At SMU and at The Mount, this fight continues.”

CUPE 3912 represents part time faculty, teaching assistants, and independent course appointees at MSVU, SMU, Dalhousie, and NSCAD.

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