Dalhousie University professors approve a new three-year contract with wage increases, enhanced leave, and workload reforms—faculty return, classes resume Sept. 23.
Agreement Reached After Month-Long Dispute
Dalhousie University’s Faculty Association, which represents nearly 1,000 professors and teaching staff, has officially ratified a new collective agreement, ending a protracted contract conflict. The agreement was approved in a vote where 95.7% of the returned ballots (899 of 939) were in favour. Participation was nearly 95%.
Key Gains: Salary, Leave, and Workload
Under the new three-year deal, faculty will receive a 10% pay increase over that period. Other improvements include increased parental leave benefits and a formal requirement for each academic unit to develop fair workload policies to ensure equitable distribution of duties. Additionally, the agreement grants five paid leave days annually for Indigenous faculty to observe cultural or traditional days of importance. Early-career faculty joining at ranks below full professor will also see salary adjustments of $1,500 to $5,000.
Dispute Origins and Negotiation Dynamics
The dispute began after Dalhousie locked out faculty on August 20, followed by a union strike two days later. Central issues were wage increases and the impact of inflation, together with disparities in compensation across seniority levels, type of instruction, and academic departments. The university’s initial offer had been increases of 2% per year over three years; the Faculty Association had countered seeking steeper raises in each year.
Resumption of Academic Activities
Faculty are set to return to work immediately, with classes resuming September 23. However, some schedules—including final exam dates—remain to be finalized, creating uncertainty among students about potential changes in academic timelines.
Student Response and Remaining Concerns
Some students, already disrupted by the months-long labour actions, plan a sit-in protest demanding tuition refunds. Rose Silivestru, a law student leading the “DalLockedOut” social media account, argues that students are paying full tuition for a term partially marked by interruption and wants compensation reflecting that disruption.
Why the Deal Matters for Academic Staff
For Dalhousie’s professors and instructors, vote outcomes reflect strong collective unity and pressure to secure terms addressing rising living costs, inequity in faculty workload, and support for marginalized groups. The agreement not only provides financial improvements, but also institutional commitments to structural changes (leave policies, workload fairness) that could affect quality of working life long-term.
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