Brandon University strike leaves students in limbo

Students fear entire semester will be lost if strike does not end soon

Third year psychiatric nursing student Michelle Cleland says the Brandon University strike is souring the relationship between professors and students. Kaitlyn Emslie Farrell

Students and faculty alike have joined the picket line in front of the University of Winnipeg’s Rice Building as the Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA) strike continues.

But some students of the Winnipeg-based Brandon University psychiatric nursing program fear the strike may cost them an entire semester of school.

According to BUFA’s website, faculty are still in negotiations with the administration. Administration has not arranged a lockout, and several members of the faculty have broken the picket line to return to their jobs.

Michelle Cleland, a third-year psychiatric nursing student, says this places students in a difficult position.

“I think it’s really unfair. I feel for the fourth-year students. One of their (professors) has gone back and it’s souring the relationship with faculty and students,” Cleland said. “It’s just playing into this manipulative game that the administration is playing.”

Although Brandon University president Deborah Poff released a communiqué stating students will not be penalized for choosing not to cross picket lines, the school’s student union says administration refused to sign a memorandum put forth by BUFA that said the same.

“If students really are in (the administration’s) best interest ... why not sign?” said Cleland. “It’s very childish.”

If the strike does not end soon, second-year psych nursing students may not be able to complete the required number of clinical practicum hours to advance to the next level of training, Cleland said. The school’s website states no refunds will be given to students, as the deadline to withdraw has passed.

Cleland expects there will be lower registration numbers at the school next year; however, with few psychiatric nursing programs in Canada, she may not have the option to attend a different university.

“The quality of education we’re getting from our faculty is fantastic, but if the faculty isn’t happy ... that’s going to affect us as well,” she said. “It’s not fair what’s happening to them, and therefore, not fair what’s happening to us.”

Dick Henley, BUFA’s Winnipeg-based spokesperson, said the strike is more about control than wages.

“What they want to do is turn the university into a private corporation, where the professors would be slaves to that corporation,” Henley said. “It’s worthwhile striking about. We need to defend the public university.”

This is the second time BUFA has been on strike in the last three years.

“I was hopeful that this new president would develop some kind of relationship with the faculty union, but she has the same mindset as the former president,” said Henley.

Still, he is optimistic a decision will be made soon.

“I don’t know what would delay an early settlement at this point,” he said.

Bruno Tomberli, a member of BUFA who is striking in Brandon, also hopes to see a quick end to the strike.

“When the will to make an agreement is there, it can take a surprisingly short time for an agreement to be reached,” Tomberli said.

Brandon University administration did not return calls for comment.

Published in Volume 66, Number 9 of The Uniter (October 26, 2011)

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