Nova ScotiaPart-time academic staff at Mount Saint Vincent University went on strike Wednesday, and those at Saint Mary’s University followed suit on Thursday.Union cites wages, job security as members hit picket lines at Mount Saint Vincent and Saint Mary’sListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesStriking part-time faculty members are shown outside Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Paul Poirier/CBC)Hundreds of classes at two Halifax universities have been suspended following a walkout this week by part-time faculty due to impasses in contract negotiations, with the union that represents them citing compensation and job security as the main sticking points.Part-time academic staff at Mount Saint Vincent University went on strike Wednesday and those at Saint Mary’s University followed suit Thursday. Both groups have been without a contract since last year.Lauren McKenzie, president of the union local that represents the part-time faculty, said current pay levels are too low and many members “are running around trying to cobble together a salary that will feed their family.”That leaves little time for academic research, she said, and for many, full-time tenured employment is out of reach.“It just becomes impossible for them,” said McKenzie, with the Canadian Union of Public Employees. “The conditions have become incredibly difficult.”Mount Saint Vincent University said that, as of Thursday, 337 classes taught by part-time faculty have been suspended. A list on the website of Saint Mary’s suggests roughly 300 classes at the university have been paused.Part-time faculty at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax are shown on the picket line on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Brian MacKay/CBC)Universities in Nova Scotia charge some of the highest tuition rates in the country, but several have warned they face significant financial headwinds due to dropping international student enrolment, tuition caps and limited funding increases from the provincial government.Karen White, the associate vice-president of university relations at Mount Saint Vincent, said compensation is the main dispute. She said the university is projecting a $1.59-million deficit this year and will need to draw on reserves and manage expenses.She said the university is disappointed union members decided to strike, and the “door is open” to more negotiations so a deal can be reached and students can return to class.“The reality is we are facing financial and operational challenges, and it’s important that we’re able to focus on affordability for our students and access to quality programming,” she said in an interview. “All of these things need to be factored into these conversations and negotiations.”The strike at the two institutions follows the lockout in late August of about 1,000 professors and other teaching staff at Dalhousie University. The faculty union and Dalhousie came to an agreement in mid-September, but the first few weeks of class were disrupted.Roughly 475 part-time faculty are under active contract at Mount Saint Vincent and Saint Mary’s, although not all are teaching this term, according to the union. Some faculty teach just a single course, others up to six, according to McKenzie.A Mount Saint Vincent spokesperson said about 46 per cent of classes and “sections” this fall are being taught by part-time faculty. A Saint Mary’s spokesperson said roughly 18 per cent of its classes this term are being taught by part-time faculty.Mount Saint Vincent University is shown on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Paul Poirier/CBC)At Mount Saint Vincent, the starting stipend paid to a part-time faculty member to teach a one-semester course is about $6,200, and it’s roughly $6,100 at Saint Mary’s, according to the union. The work includes preparation, teaching and grading.That pay is below other similar-sized post-secondaries, McKenzie said. She declined to say how big an increase the union is seeking, but said members want something “that brings us up to where we should be.” White also declined to say what Mount Saint Vincent is offering.McKenzie said another issue is job stability, with union members seeking greater assurances they will have work in the future.In a statement, a Saint Mary’s spokesperson said the university “is committed to reaching a fair agreement in good faith,” and “student success and the continuity of teaching and research remain our top priorities.”A spokesperson said the university would not be commenting on collective bargaining issues. MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORRichard Cuthbertson is a journalist with CBC Nova Scotia. He can be reached at richard.cuthbertson@cbc.ca.
Hundreds of classes suspended at 2 Halifax universities as part-time faculty strike
