(Ottawa – November 18, 2021) As the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) strike nears the end of its third week, members of the CAUT Defence Fund and the CAUT Executive will be joining the picket lines in a show of national solidarity.

UMFA is pushing back against government interference in collective bargaining and is fighting for a fair contract that prioritizes academic staff recruitment and retention.

Academic staff and students from coast to coast to coast  have rallied to support the working conditions of UMFA members, joining rallies and mobilizing the academic labour movement across social media.

In the first week of the strike, CAUT Vice-President Peter McInnis joined UMFA members on the picket line and called for the University of Manitoba administration and the Premier of Manitoba, Heather Stefanson, to negotiate in good faith and support a fair deal.

According to UMFA—the certified bargaining agent for 1,240 full-time professors, librarians, lecturers, and instructors at the University of Manitoba— “the university has the ability to fairly compensate UMFA members but has chosen to allow the provincial government to continue interfering in negotiations.”

As the academic labour community gears up for a fourth week of strike action, UMFA is back at the bargaining table with the university administration. But the need for pressure, support, and solidarity remains strong.