The sign at the Yukon University Ayamdigut campus. Photo Courtesy of Yukon U/Facebook.
Whitehorse, YT – More than 400 Yukon University employees have voted in favour of a strike mandate, the union says.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Yukon Employees Union (YEU) say the university’s latest contract offer does not address key concerns, including fair wages and protections for precarious workers. YEU president Justin Lemphers says members are committed to reaching a deal but are prepared to take job action if necessary.
“This strong strike mandate reflects the seriousness of the issues facing our members and the need for meaningful progress at the bargaining table,” said Lemphers in a statement.
The current collective agreement expired in June 2024. A strike could begin as early as March 2 and may affect events such as the Arctic Winter Games, though the union has not issued a formal strike notice.
Yukon University say recent conciliation did not result in an agreement, and although progress was made on non-financial matters, wages remain the main unresolved issue.
“We support the right of employees to collectively bargain. While our bargaining teams were unable to reach an agreement during conciliation, we look forward to the opportunity to seek a collaborative resolution,” said David Morrison, chair of the Yukon University Board of Governors. “We remain in active bargaining and out of respect to this process, we will not speak further to this.”
