Communications about the strike
Last update: March 23 2023, 9:45 AM
End of the conflict, professors back to work and classes resume
The recommendation for a settlement tabled by the conciliator appointed by the Quebec government was accepted on Wednesday, March 29, by both the union and the university authorities, thus putting an end to the strike by the Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l'Université Laval (SPUL).
All courses affected by the strike will resume according to the usual schedule, either this Friday, March 31 or, at the latest, Monday, April 3.
It is with relief that we welcome the end of this labour dispute. We are pleased to see the professors return to work to ensure the continuity of studies for the students registered for the winter session.
We are well aware that the last few weeks have not been easy for all members of the university community. After these moments of uncertainty, it is now possible to look forward together.
In light of discussions with student association representatives and department chairs, we have agreed with SPUL management on a framework that outlines the continuity plan that will be proposed for each course affected by the strike. The following is a summary of these guidelines, which can be adapted to each course, while respecting the academic freedom of the professors.
Guidelines for continuity plans for each course (summary)
- Professors are back at work on Thursday, March 30. On that day, they will meet with the unit responsible to discuss collectively the modalities of resumption envisaged. The goal is to provide a plan that is appropriate for each course.
- Professors are free to propose the content, teaching and evaluation methods and pedagogical strategies that are relevant to achieving the course objectives. The content, modalities and strategies may differ from those originally included in the course outline.
- In developing the continuity plan, the professor is flexible and takes into account the multiple constraints (internships, summer session, employment, graduation, end of residence permit, etc.) that students must deal with.
- In exceptional cases, for serious reasons, a student may request an accommodation.
- A minimum of two assessments must be maintained within each course.
- Students enrolled in the course will be consulted about changes to the schedule and evaluation procedures. This consultation should take place in the first course after the strike.
- To be approved, changes must receive a majority of the votes cast.
- Classes could continue beyond April 30.
To the student community - We invite you to visit monPortail starting Thursday, March 30 to stay informed of specific details for your return to class. From that date on, your professors will be able to communicate directly with you.
- The teams in the various faculties can also answer your questions about the continuation of classes.
- If you are unsure, you can send your questions to grevespul@ulaval.ca. A team will remain available for a few more days to answer you quickly.
To the staff
You are invited to refer to your manager if you have any questions about your role in the resumption of classes.
At the end of the fourth week of the strike by the members of the Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l'Université Laval (SPUL), we would like to provide you with some information on the state of the situation so that you can have the right information, considering that yesterday afternoon the conciliator tabled a settlement proposal and that the union rejected it.
Here is the chronology and some highlights
- Negotiations began in September 2022, as stipulated in the Letter of Agreement for the renewal through December 1, 2022 of the SPUL members' collective bargaining agreement.
- On January 20, 2023, after only 8 meetings, the SPUL requested a strike mandate.
- Management filed for conciliation with the ministère du Travail, in order to support the parties and facilitate the reconciliation necessary to reach an agreement.
- On February 20, the SPUL exercised its two-week strike mandate. Members were back at work during reading week.
- On March 13, SPUL went on general strike, despite the fact that over 85% of the normative aspects had been negotiated by that time.
- In early March, management publicly explained that the 20% salary increase requested as early as June 2023 - 30% in June 2026 - was beyond Université Laval's ability to pay.
- On March 12, management tabled a second salary offer, which was refused by the union.
- Negotiations are currently stalled on three issues: salaries, the employment floor and academic freedom.
- On March 17, the conciliator adjourned negotiations for one week while the parties worked out separate paths to an agreement.
- On March 22, the conciliator put forward a settlement option that the SPUL rejected.
- To date, 36 meetings have been held, 28 of which were attended by the conciliator.
Since the beginning of the negotiations, management has made every effort to reach a negotiated settlement in the interest of all members of the university community. Management believes that it has shown openness and has made concessions in order to find ways to move forward.
It hopes that the union side will, in turn, go some way. The SPUL shares with management a responsibility towards the 56% of students with at least one course affected by the strike, of which 6,700 are at risk of not graduating.
Université Laval hopes that the next meeting with the SPUL will resolve the impasse. The employer side continues to work towards this goal.
Reminder to students affected by the strike
- The list of assigned activities for the week of March 27 to April 2 will be available on Friday, March 24 on monPortail.
- The Strike Info Web section provides factual information on the context of the strike and access to an evolving FAQ for the student community.
- The Student Assistance Centre has published a webpage of tips for overcoming strike-related concerns.
For staff
- Visit the Strike Info Web section to access the evolving FAQ for staff members.
- If you are unsure or have additional questions, please contact your manager or email grevespul@ulaval.ca.
- If you are experiencing psychological difficulty or distress, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-361-2433.
The intensive negotiations of the last few weeks have unfortunately not led to a significant rapprochement between Université Laval and the Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l'Université Laval (SPUL). In light of this, the conciliator has adjourned his work until March 24 to give both parties time to reflect on possible ways forward.
During this break, the parties can still propose new paths to the conciliator, who can then resume his work in order to accelerate the negotiation process.
Université Laval still wishes to reach a satisfactory settlement for both parties as soon as possible.
In this context, the Vice-Rector, Academic and Student Affairs, delivers a message to the students affected by the strike.
A continuity plan to complete the session
- Cancelling the session is not an option. When professors return to work, a continuity plan will be presented to students in each course affected by the strike.
- The students concerned will be asked to vote by majority on this continuity plan, which will make it possible to meet the objectives of the courses and support their success.
- Different modalities could be considered depending on the reality of each course. Some examples include:
- Use of digital delivery methods, particularly for academic courses (some students may not be able to attend face-to-face classes and exams for various reasons such as an end of housing lease or end of visa).
- More than one option could be offered by the professor for the resumption of an activity depending on student availability and space (e.g., the same lab could be offered on two different dates).
- The objectives of a training activity affected by the strike could, in some cases, be postponed to another activity planned for 2023-2024.
- Not all of the content in the course plan may be available in the planned delivery format. Materials may be made available on monPortal.
- Courses may continue beyond April 30. As such, activities may be rescheduled in May or late August depending on the nature of the activity.
To the affected student community
- The week of April 24 will be used to resume teaching and evaluation activities that could not be held due to the strike.
- The March 21 deadline for withdrawing from courses without a failing grade and without a refund of tuition and fees for the winter session has been extended to later, and this only for courses affected by the SPUL strike. You will have one week after the first day of classes resuming to file your request to withdraw from courses affected by the strike with your faculty's academic management.
- The admission process for the summer and fall semesters will proceed as normal.
- The list of affected activities for the week of March 20-26 is available on monPortail.
- The Strike Info web section provides factual information on the background of the strike and access to an evolving FAQ for the student community.
- The Student Assistance Centre has published a webpage of tips for overcoming strike-related concerns.
To staff
Once again, we thank you for your understanding and commitment to the mission of our university. We hope, as you do, that the SPUL strike will end soon. Our negotiating team is working tirelessly to find a way through and a common ground that respects the ability of Laval University to pay.
- Visit the Info-strike web section to access the evolving Frequently Asked Questions for staff members.
- If in doubt or if you have any additional questions, please refer to your manager or write to grevespul@ulaval.ca.
- If you are experiencing psychological difficulty or distress, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-361-2433.
To all members of the student and staff community
Talks are continuing between Université Laval and the Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l'Université Laval (SPUL). Our desire is to reach a satisfactory settlement for both parties as quickly as possible.
In this context, we are postponing the date for withdrawing from courses affected by the strike, in order to give students a little more time to make the best possible decision. When each course resumes, students will have one week to decide whether to withdraw without a failing grade.
We are aware of the uncertainty that this labour dispute is causing. Please be assured that the teams are making every effort to ensure that the resumption arrangements will allow students to successfully complete their winter semester training activities. Cancellation of the semester is not an option.
Our concern for the quality of the training offered and the success of the student community is constant.
To the student
- The March 21 deadline for withdrawing from courses without a failing grade and without a refund of tuition and fees for the winter semester has been extended to later, and only for courses affected by the SPUL members' strike.
- You will have one week after the first day of the resumption of classes to file your request to withdraw from the courses affected by the strike with your faculty's academic management.
- When professors return to work, a continuity plan will be presented to you for each course. You will be asked to vote by majority vote on this continuity plan which will allow you to meet the objectives of the course.
- The list of assigned activities for the week of March 20-26 will be posted on monPortail no later than this Friday, March 17.
- The admissions process for the summer and fall semesters is proceeding normally.
- The Strike Info web section provides factual information on the background of the strike and provides access to an evolving FAQ for you.
- The Student Assistance Centre has published a Webpage of tips for overcoming strike-related concerns.
To the Staff
This situation may require some adjustments on your part. We thank you for your understanding and commitment to the mission of our university.
- The Strike Info web section provides factual information on the context of the strike and access to an evolving FAQ for staff members.
- If you are unsure or have additional questions, we ask that you refer to your manager.
- If you are experiencing psychological difficulty or distress, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-361-2433.
If you do not find an answer to a question among the tools mentioned, you can write to grevespul@ulaval.ca.
On the first day of the indefinite general strike, we would like to reassure you that intensive negotiations between Université Laval and the Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l'Université Laval (SPUL) are actively underway.
We are convinced that solutions exist, and our desire to reach an agreement in principle as quickly as possible remains strong. However, we would like to correct an item of information conveyed by the SPUL: Université Laval has not accumulated a financial surplus of $257 million. This is a misinterpretation of our university's budgets.
Our main concern remains the same: student success. We remain focused on the continuity of courses and the resumption of evaluations as soon as the strike is over. The University is working with unit directors to prepare continuity plans tailored to the specifics of each course. As soon as SPUL members return to work, we will be able to deploy the best possible resumption scenarios, depending on the realities of each course.
For more details, we invite you to view the press briefing we attended early Monday:
To the student
We are aware that you have commitments scheduled after the end of the winter session on April 30. It is our desire to provide you with resumption arrangements that will allow you to reconcile your commitments. We understand that the current context of uncertainty raises many questions. Here are a few reminders and clarifications:
- The admission process for the summer and fall sessions is proceeding normally.
- Only activities offered by SPUL members are affected, regardless of whether they are face-to-face or distance learning.
- The list of affected activities this week has been posted via a link on monPortail. If the strike continues, the list of affected activities for the week of March 20-26 will be filed by this Friday, March 17.
- Faculties or departments may contact you by email at your @ulaval.ca address to provide you with information specific to your courses.
- This web section provides factual information on the context of the strike and access to an evolving list of frequently asked questions for you.
- If you are experiencing difficulty or psychological distress, do not hesitate to contact the Student Assistance Centre, or consult the resources on dusoutien.ca or Mon équilibre ULaval.
To the staff
- This web section provides factual information on the context of the strike and access to an evolving FAQ for staff members.
- If you are unsure or have any additional questions, we ask that you refer to your manager.
- If you are experiencing psychological difficulty or distress, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Assistance Program at
1-800-361-2433.
If you do not find an answer to a question among the tools mentioned, you can write to grevespul@ulaval.ca.
The SPUL confirms its decision to call an unlimited general strike as of March 13
The Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l'Université Laval (SPUL) confirmed Thursday that it will exercise a mandate for an unlimited general strike as of Monday, March 13. Despite this, the University hopes to reach a settlement as quickly as possible that will satisfy the parties. A tentative agreement is still within reach before the strike is called, as negotiations continue over the next few days.
In both cases, the University is working with unit directors to prepare continuity plans adapted to the particularities of each course. Our goal is to ensure that those whose teaching-learning activities are affected can complete their semester.
To the students
We remind you that only activities offered by SPUL members will be affected by a resumption of the strike, regardless of whether they are face-to-face or distance learning.
We understand that the current context of uncertainty is raising many questions and stress among students. We assure you that we are making every effort to ensure the success of your educational project. The continuity plans we are working on are in pursuit of this goal. For example:
- Every possible tool will be deployed to minimize the impact on your course, including the use of digital tools.
- The week of April 24 will be used to resume teaching and evaluation activities that could not be held due to the strike.
- You will be consulted when the time comes to determine the modalities for the resumption of teaching and evaluation activities.
- The summative evaluation will be based on more than one test, as provided for in the Academic Regulations.
- In anticipation of the strike announced by the SPUL as of March 13, the list of activities assigned during the week of March 13 to 19 will be submitted no later than Friday, March 10 via a link on monPortail.
- The admissions process for the summer and fall semesters is proceeding normally.
- Faculties or departments will be able to contact you by email at your @ulaval.ca address to provide you with information specific to your courses.
- If you are experiencing difficulty or psychological distress, do not hesitate to contact the Student Assistance Centre, or consult the resources on dusoutien.ca or Mon équilibre ULaval.
To the staff
- If you are unsure or have any additional questions, we ask that you refer to your manager.
- If you are experiencing psychological difficulty or distress, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-361-2433.
The Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l'Université Laval (SPUL) has announced that its members will go on an unlimited general strike as of March 13, 2023, after a brief return to work during the March 4-12 reading week.
We regret this decision, which may further disrupt the current semester and cause additional stress to our student community and staff. However, we welcome the SPUL's decision to give negotiations a chance.
The University remains hopeful that a settlement can be reached that will satisfy both parties, ensure the resumption of faculty activities, and allow students to complete their semester on time as soon as possible. An agreement between the parties can occur at any time, with negotiation sessions continuing intensively during reading week.
Our immediate goal is to provide as much information as possible to members of the student community to minimize their questions.
As of now, we can confirm that:
- Reading week is maintained for the entire student community and no activities (classes, exams, labs, etc.), which could not be given because of the strike, will be resumed during this week;
- You will be able to contact professors between March 4 and 12, as they will be back at work during this period.
- For the evaluations that were affected by the strike during the last two weeks, details will be sent to you later.
- The usual exam period of April 24 to 30 may be used to resume activities lost during the strike.
We strongly advise you to monitor your emails in the coming hours and days as well as the list of information tools at your disposal to stay up to date. Continue to check monPortail and the Strike information web section for the latest information.
To the student community
- The list of activities for the week of March 13 that could be affected by a resumption of the strike will be sent to you by March 10 via a link on monPortail.
- Faculties or departments will be able to communicate with you by email at your @ulaval.ca address in order to provide you with information specific to your courses. We invite you to pay close attention to these messages.
- This section section provides factual information on the context of the strike and links to an evolving FAQ for the student community.
- If you are experiencing difficulty or psychological distress, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Assistance Centre, or consult the resources at dusoutien.ca or Mon équilibre ULaval.
For staff
- This section provides factual information on the context of the strike and links to an evolving FAQ for staff members.
- If you are unsure or have any additional questions, we ask that you refer to your manager.
- If you are experiencing psychological difficulty or distress, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Assistance Program at 1-800-361-2433.
The current context of uncertainty certainly gives rise to many legitimate questions that we are trying to answer to the best of our knowledge. We will continue to keep you informed as the situation develops.
If you do not find an answer to a question among the tools mentioned, you can write to grevespul@ulaval.ca.
Université Laval’s professors’ union, the Syndicat des professeurs et professeures de l’Université Laval (SPUL), has announced that they will be on strike from February 20 to March 3. This decision has resulted in suspension of the teaching and research activities by SPUL members. Every possible means is being taken to mitigate the effects.
A frequently Asked Questions page has been prepared for members of the student community and staff. The FAQ covers a wide range of topics and will be updated on an ongoing basis in the coming days, if changes should occur.