UPEI Community Bulletin: UPEI and UPEI FA agree to enter mediation

The following message was also issued to UPEI students and employees via their @upei.ca email accounts.

The University is pleased to get back to the bargaining table with the UPEI Faculty Association (UPEI FA).

Earlier today, the Government of Prince Edward Island contacted both parties to see if they would be interested in entering mediation in an attempt to resolve the ongoing UPEI FA strike.

Both parties have agreed.

This means that the Government will appoint a mediator to assist the two parties in achieving an agreement. Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process in which the mediator, an impartial third party, facilitates open and respectful communication between parties. In a mediation process, the mediator assists parties in reaching a solution but does not make decisions. Therefore, only the two parties can agree on a settlement.

Both the University and UPEI FA have expressed interest in having Michelle Flaherty be reappointed as the mediator as she had worked with the parties earlier this year and is aware of the items in dispute.

The University appreciates the support of the provincial government in bringing the two parties together with the assistance of a mediator. The UPEI Student Union has also reached out to the University, expressing their support of the two parties entering mediation. We appreciate the role they are playing to support students during the strike.

We look forward to the mediation process and an agreement that will allow students to return to class as soon as possible.

The University will continue to send updates as they become available to members of the campus community via their @upei.ca email accounts. Previous updates and information can be found on the upei.ca/labour website.