ULaval faculty vote in favour of unlimited general strike if labour negotiations fail

The Syndicat des professeurs de l’Université Laval (SPUL), which represents 1,280 faculty at the university, has voted in favour of an unlimited general strike. Bargaining sessions are scheduled for next week and La Presse reports that the strike could be called as soon as March 13th. SPUL is reportedly calling for changes such as workload reductions, protections for precariously employed instructors, and salary increases to bring pay more in line with other Canadian universities. ULaval rectrice Sophie D’Amours explained that the university is negotiating in the context of the province. The Canadian Association of University Teachers and the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université (FQPPU) recently issued a statement expressing their support for SPUL.