FREDERICTON 鈥� Academic staff at the University of New Brunswick went on strike Monday after talks failed to produce a deal with the school over the weekend.
Miriam Jones, president of the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers, said a last-ditch attempt to resolve a dispute over salaries and workload failed Sunday even after the group modified its proposal.
Jones said the university didn鈥檛 budge on compensation and reversed some commitments it previously made.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 seem interested in negotiating,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like they鈥檙e welcoming this situation.鈥�
No one from the university was available for comment.
University president Eddy Campbell said in a statement that staff had withdrawn their services and that all classes will be suspended for the duration of the strike with the exception of some online courses and those in Miramichi.
鈥淓ventually this dispute will be settled, a new contract will be signed and we will all return to the work we love,鈥� Campbell said.
He said the two sides are continuing to negotiate, though Jones said she wasn鈥檛 aware of any planned talks. She said they had also received a notice that they would be locked out as of Tuesday.
Jones said members are looking to be treated the same as their peers, adding that staff are up to 48 per cent behind salaries at other schools.
The association had previously voted on a strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. Monday. Jones said pickets were set up at campuses in Fredericton, Saint John, Bathurst and Moncton.
The union represents over 1,000 full-time and contract academic staff, librarians and researchers. Their contract expired June 30.
The university said before Christmas it had offered economic adjustments of between $1,000 and $3,000 and a 1.5 per cent increase on Jan. 1 in the first year and two per cent increases for three subsequent years.
It said it also offered to revise compensation for assistant professors to create higher starting salaries to attract new faculty.
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