Members of the University of Prince Edward Island Faculty Association went on strike at 7:30 am Tuesday morning, March 21, 2006, after late-night negotiations on Monday failed to achieve an agreement. Spirits of strikers were lifted by support from the honking horns of cars and passers-by and students stopping with coffee, donuts and greetings of solidarity. The Strike ended April 5th, 2006.
The strike concerned central issues of salary comparability within the region, workload, benefits and ending mandatory retirement. Late on Monday night (March 20) the employer rejected the association’s substantially revised framework for salary and teaching workload.
According to Wayne Peters, Association President, “This strike concerns fundamental issues of respect for academic staff and quality of education. Our members are determined to have a workplace that at least compares with other universities in the region.”