APPBUSA asks for Binding Arbitration
Church Point, March 31st 2022
Following a meeting with Nova Scotia’s Acting Chief Conciliation and Mediation Officer, the Association of Professors and Librarians of Université Sainte-Anne (APPBUSA) has formally requested binding arbitration, in order to immediately end the current labour dispute. Despite progress made between March 16 and 29, it had become clear that the parties cannot agree on important issues that led to the strike in the first place. There is no shared ground, and the administration has refused to offer serious counter-proposals.
Binding arbitration is not a refusal to negotiate. Binding arbitration means that a qualified arbitrator studies the outstanding issues and makes the decisions, with every effort to be fair to all parties. Binding arbitration is a legal path out of an impossible impasse.
The situation has become urgent:
- Students who have completed their studies must receive their diplomas;
- Students with internships, practicums, or summer jobs must be able to move on with their lives;
- Students going on to professional and graduate programs must receive their grades to complete their applications on time.
We all need the issues separating APPBUSA and the administration to be resolved. The learning conditions of the students depend on it. At this point, the best option is to put the contentious issues in the hands of a fair and impartial arbitrator and return to class.
— Association de professeurs, professeures, et bibliothécaires de l’Université Sainte-Anne / The Association of Professors and Librarians of Université Sainte-Anne (APPBUSA)
March 31, 2022