McGill law professors on strike to protest union certification challenge

“Now it’s come down to something much more fundamental, because they’re questioning our right to exist as a union,” Anker said in an interview, adding that McGill is deliberately dragging out the bargaining process until a Quebec Superior Court hearing in December on the university’s challenge.

In the absence of regular classes, professors have organized outdoor lectures on labor issues. Anker estimates that a total of 200 students showed up for the lectures Monday and Wednesday, with another one planned for Friday morning in front of the law school building.

Law professor Richard Janda said Thursday he had not always supported joining a union, but now he was its secretary and chief negotiator. He added that both sides were waiting for an arbitrator to rule on the issue.

“As a professor who has worked here for over 30 years, it’s devastating to find myself in this situation,” he said. “I never imagined that I would one day find myself on a picket line in front of my own faculty.”

Janda said McGill’s administration has increasingly centralized decision-making over the years and prevents faculty from having a say in governance matters, including the selection of the dean, an approach he says tarnishes the university’s reputation.

Casey Broughton, a 25-year-old law student, is entering her fourth year, but she came to show her support for the union and picket alongside her professors. Broughton says the class cancellations are frustrating, but she doesn’t blame the union members.

“I am more worried about the future of my colleagues, about the future of the university, than about missing a few classes,” she said, adding that she hopes classes will resume soon. “The learning conditions of students are directly impacted by the working conditions and contracts of our professors.”

McGill University told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that the union notified the university of the strike on Sunday night. It added that an arbitrator was appointed on Aug. 22. “McGill has acted in good faith throughout the process and looks forward to reaching a fair collective agreement,” it said in a statement.

“The university will do everything in its power to minimize the impacts on students and we reiterate our respect for our valued colleagues in the law school,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.

Joe Bongiorno, The Canadian Press