Laurentian University faculty could be legally on strike as of Jan. 19

Laurentian University faculty will be in a legal strike position on Jan. 19 after a no board report on Dec. 29 started a 17-day countdown; five mediation days are scheduled before that date.

Laurentian University faculty members are set to be in a legal strike position on Jan. 19 after the university issued a no board report on Dec. 29. The no board report led the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) to declare bargaining at an impasse and begin a 17-day countdown to a legal strike or lockout date. The university president, Lynn Wells, said a no board report does not mean a strike will necessarily occur and reiterated the university's commitment to negotiating in good faith. LUFA leaders say five mediation days are scheduled before members reach a legal strike position. Key developments: - A no board report issued Dec. 29 prompted a 17-day countdown to a legal strike or lockout. - Faculty will be in a legal strike position on Jan. 19 if no agreement is reached. - Five mediation days are scheduled to take place before that date. - A central bargaining issue is pensions; faculty seek a return to a defined benefit plan or a jointly sponsored arrangement such as the University Pension Plan of Ontario. - LUFA members voted 98% in November in favour of strike action if necessary. - After filing for insolvency in 2021, Laurentian entered an exit loan agreement that included pension-related restrictions; faculty had been enrolled in a defined benefit plan prior to the 2021 financial crisis. Summary: The timeline gives both sides a defined period to continue talks, with five mediation days before the Jan. 19 legal strike position could take effect. The dispute centers on pension arrangements and remains the main point of contention in bargaining. The university has stated that a no board report does not automatically mean a labour disruption, and the immediate next step is the scheduled mediation days.