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Faculty strike ends at Cape Breton University after union accepts contract offer

SYDNEY, N.S. — Faculty at Cape Breton University accepted a contract offer Tuesday, ending a strike that began Jan. 27. The school's faculty association said 203 of its roughly 220 members voted 84 per cent in favour of accepting the deal.
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Cape Breton University's Verschuren Centre is shown in Sydney, N.S., on Thursday, March 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Vaughan Merchant

SYDNEY, N.S. — Faculty at Cape Breton University accepted a contract offer Tuesday, ending a strike that began Jan. 27.

The school's faculty association said 203 of its roughly 220 members voted 84 per cent in favour of accepting the deal. The contract offer includes a wage increase of 8.9 per cent over three years, as well as one-time bonuses of varying amounts each year.

"As educators, we look forward to returning to our workspaces across campus and in the community," association vice-president Calvin Howley said in a news release.

The pay hikes are a step toward "equitable wages," he added, but he said tensions remain between faculty and the university administration.

The Cape Breton University Faculty Association includes professors, librarians and lab instructors. Its members began voting on the contract Monday after both sides reached a tentative deal the day before. 

Faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador are in their second week of a strike, and negotiations resumed Monday between the faculty association and the school's administration. A news release from Memorial University said talks will continue Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.

The Canadian Press

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