(Sudbury – 28 September 2017)

What is a strike?
Legal strike action is the right of unionized workers to withdraw their services with the aim of demonstrating collectively their concerns and resolve to achieve fair terms of employment. For LUFA members, this means ceasing all of the teaching, research, and governance tasks that make up their workload for the duration of the strike.

How will LUFA communicate with me during the strike?
The employer has blocked faculty access to Laurentian email and electronic services.

The central location of information about the strike is the LUFA web site at http://lufappul.ca.
Sensitive strike information will be sent to your alternative email address.

You can follow us on Twitter (@lufappul) or our Facebook page

Strike headquarters: Mine Mill 598-UNIFOR Campground, 2550 Richard Lake Dr.
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 705-698-8760
Please follow the campground speed limit of 10k/hour as there are many children in a close space.

How do I get to the strike headquarters?
When you arrive at the Mine Mill 598 campground, you need to drive through slowly the campground towards the Lake, and then drive parallel to the lake shore until you arrive at LUFA Strike HQ, per the following map:

Do I have to picket?
You are not legally required to picket, but the outcome of a job action is usually contingent upon the strength of the picket line. A stronger line usually leads to a shorter strike – and better results. This is why members must picket or perform other approved strike duties in order to receive strike pay.

What is strike pay?
Members on strike do not receive salary during a strike or lockout. However, members who participate in the strike do receive strike pay from LUFA. The LUFA Board has approved that the following shall apply, contingent upon completion of strike support duties:

• $100 a day, 7 days a week, tax free, for regular (full-time) members;
• $50 a day, 7 days a week, tax free, for sessional (part-time) members. This may rise to $100 a day depending upon additional strike support duties.

What is required for me to be eligible for strike pay?
A member must provide strike support duty, of which the primary form is picket duty. The Picket Committee oversees the picket schedule and the Picket Committee co-chairs, Alain Lamothe and Heather Jessup-Falcioni, liaise with the Department Captains. Picket captains track how much time you spend on picket duty and that information is submitted to Strike Headquarters. Full-time members are required to picket a minimum of fifteen hours per week and sessional members are required to picket a prorated amount to obtain their strike pay.

How do I receive my strike pay?
Cheques will be distributed at our strike headquarters. If you live at a significant distance from Sudbury, you can make alternate arrangements to receive your strike pay. Otherwise, you must pick up your cheque in person. Having contact with strike headquarters is essential for communicating information, boosting morale, and maintaining contact with colleagues during a strike.

What about salaries for members on sabbatical?
The administration will not pay the salaries of members who are on sabbatical. Those members are therefore also expected to withdraw all services to the employer, including research, but can earn strike pay subject to the same expectations as regular full-time members.

What about members on other types of paid leave?
The administration will continue to pay members on paid leave (parental, maternity, sick leave) as they are not considered to be on strike. This is subject to a strike protocol, which is a negotiated agreement between the parties. This should be finalized on Sunday. Members on Long Term Disability will continue to be paid by the insurance company.

What about my benefits?
The administration has indicated it will allow benefits to continue during the strike. LUFA will pay the insurance company’s premium for that period.

What if I am not on sick leave, but am still unable to join the picket line due to illness or disability?
If you feel you are unable to join the picket line, you will need to contact Strike Headquarters. There are other jobs that you can be scheduled to do.

What about members at a distance?
The most important thing in any strike is the withdrawal of labour power, or work duties. For LUFA members, this means ceasing all of the teaching, research, and governance tasks that make up their normal workload, for the duration of the strike. This is what disrupts business as usual and puts pressure on the administration to settle. If you cannot picket, contact Strike Headquarters. There may be other jobs you can do at a distance. There will also be weekly picket rallies that you may be able to attend. If we cannot provide you with any kind of distance alternative to strike duties, you are still qualified to receive strike pay so long as you are not working. Please contact Strike Headquarters to discuss your individual situation.

What about access to Laurentian’s onsite daycare – will there be a picket line to cross?
Yes. Members using the daycare will require a picket pass to come and go. If you have a child in daycare, please contact Strike Headquarters.

Why is the strike pay different for full-time and sessional/CCE/online members?
The amount of strike pay is determined by LUFA’s contribution to the Canadian Association of University Teachers’ Defence fund.

What about class time and course content after a job action?
If we must proceed with a strike (or lockout), we will do our best to ensure that any Return to Work Protocol negotiated upon reaching a settlement would include provisions for making up class time and compensation for both full-time and sessional/CCE/online academic staff. LUFA will do everything in its power to mitigate the impact on students. However, you should avoid making any specific or individual promises to your students about course arrangements until after such provisions are negotiated collectively since they are subject to decisions made by the Senate or the administration.

What are the basic guidelines for picketing?
Peaceful picketing is lawful, if it is for the purpose of obtaining or communicating information. The picket line is meant to provide information about the issues involved in the strike to those crossing the line. Everyone is to be treated with the utmost of respect, and everyone is allowed to cross the line and should feel comfortable doing so. It is understood that students in particular need to come and go from campus for many reasons! The faculty members who are on the picket line will be doing their best to inform those crossing it about why we are on strike, and to reassure them that we want to get back into the classrooms, labs, and library to do our jobs. We are simply asking for a fair deal.

There is a legal obligation on any person crossing or attempting to cross a picket line to do so in a manner that will not endanger the life or safety of any person.

It is legal for a picketer to use persuasion on any person about to enter picketed premises. However, this does not extend to the use of force, threats, threatening gestures, or blocking access to the picketed premises.

It is illegal to block access to premises, and to counsel or procure others to do so is also against the law.

It is illegal to prevent workers, customers, patrons or suppliers from entering or exiting a premise or place of business.

Where Do I Park for Picket Duty at the School of Architecture?
See this map of the recommended parking area