Education should be considered an essential service

As we all know, during a strike, employers do not pay employees. Each professor at MUN makes on average $138K per year and there are 800 of them. During the strike, MUN would save $138K times 800 divided by 52 or $2.2M per week.

MUN is willing to give professors about $14M. They want about $16M. After just one week, MUN has enough saved to give them $16M. After seven weeks, the effective raise would go negative.

Just before the strike started, MUNFA said money was the main issue. Then it became governance. Now it is contract instructors and benefits. None of these issues justify a strike.

Professors just work at MUN. They do not own it. They should have no say in its governance. It might seem that administrators run MUN. Actually, the elite of Newfoundland run it. Administrators are just puppets.

Contract instructors are used to give professors teaching relief. They make on average $75K per year. That is a reasonable salary. MUN wants to delay giving new professors retirement health benefits. Professors must stay here to get them. This seems like a reasonable strategy.

Students are being held hostage by the strike. Is that what rank and file MUNFA members want? Has this become a power trip for the MUNFA leaders?

Students should be very upset with MUNFA, MUN and government for allowing a strike to happen. Education should be considered an essential service. Binding arbitration on both parties could be used to end the strike. Students should go on a proper rampage if it does not end soon.

Mike Hinchey St. John’s