TRU negotiations may extend into new year

KAMLOOPS – The faculty and administration at Thompson Rivers University will have one last opportunity to reach an agreement this year.

According to its website, the university’s faculty association and administration met Dec. 10 and negotiated for the majority of the day. There is no word how productive the talks were.

The university says it will meet again with faculty Friday, Dec. 18. If no agreement can be reached, talks will resume in the new year with three dates planned: Jan. 6, 7 and 8.

The two sides are attempting to negotiate the faculty a new five-year contract. The university’s faculty association received a strike mandate from their members Nov. 20. If the association calls a formal strike, it must give the university 72 hours of notice.

The university has said it ‘remains optimistic’ about reaching an agreement and avoiding a strike. It says it has proposed raises to faculty by increasing the salary cap from $130,050 to $144,792.

The university says it is not proposing to increase class sizes or the number of courses taught per instructor.  

To contact a reporter for this story, email Dana Reynolds at dreynolds@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.