Kamloops posted Jan 12, 2016 @ 02:02pm by Anita Sthankiya

TRU and Faculty to Begin Mediation on Friday

The Faculty Association at Thompson Rivers University has announced that mediation between administration and faculty will begin on Friday.

On Tuesday afternoon, TRU and TRUFA agreed to have Mark Brown work with the two parties in an effort to reach a settlement.

“While we see the employer and union positions still significantly far apart on key issues, we are committed to working with Mr. Brown and finding a mutually beneficial settlement,” said Tom Friedman, TRUFA President.

The long-standing dispute at the University hit a wall on Monday when the Faculty Association severed a 72-hour strike notice. By doing so, the faculty was in a legal position to undertake job action as early as Thursday morning.

<who> Photo Credit: TRU

Until such time as mediation begins, Friedman explained, the union is not prepared to commit to putting off any anticipated job action. “Once we sit down formally with the mediator, TRUFA will suspend any strike action that it may undertake,” said Friedman.

Both parties have been negotiating since February 2015 for a renewal of a collective agreement that expired in March 2014. The agreement covers approximately 650 instructors, librarians, counsellors, educational coordinators, and learning specialists in both Kamloops and Williams Lake.