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The union representing professional workers at Concordia University have ended a two-week strike early after announcing an agreement in principle with the university.
The Concordia University Professional Employees Union (CUPEU) announced Thursday it would end the strike at 11:59 p.m. that same day, with employees expected to return to work Friday according to their regular work schedule.
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The union represents a wide range of professional workers, including nurses, academic advisers, guidance counsellors, IT specialists, administrators and accountants.
A general meeting to ratify the deal will take place next week, union president Shoshana Kalfon wrote in a note posted to CUPEU’s website. No details of the deal were released.
The 600 union members went on strike on Sept. 4, arguing the university refused to discuss hybrid work during a year of negotiations, which began last August.
“We tried to negotiate over the summer, they still didn’t want to come to the table and discuss the issue, and so we called a strike and once we did that, voilà, they started talking to us,” she said in an interview last week after the university produced a new offer that was quickly rejected by union members.
CUPEU argues its members who work in the school’s academic programs have had less ability to work from home than those who work for university services.
“The academic side was told that they have to come back four days a week — no reason, no rationale. And when we asked, nothing was provided,” Kalfon said. Other members were allowed to maintain a hybrid schedule, depending on the nature of their work.
The university said last week it has been negotiating with CUPEU “in good faith.”
Classes, labs and tutorials were maintained as scheduled during the strike and libraries and shuttle bus service were unaffected, the university said. But other services including the International Students Office, the Student Success Centre and the Financial Aid and Awards Office faced delays, and health services were suspended.
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