Members of the three university locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and members of the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) have given their union executives strike mandates, as collective bargaining with the university continues.

At a meeting of CUPE members held last Tuesday, 98 per cent of those who voted endorsed strike action.

In a vote held last week by QUFA, 78 per cent of members cast a ballot and of those, 72 per cent voted in favour of a strike mandate.

Mediation between the university and CUPE begins next week.

As of 12:01 am on Friday, July 29, CUPE will be in a legal strike position and the university will be in a legal lockout position.

“This deadline doesn’t mean there will be job action,” says Al Orth, Vice-Principal (Human Resources). “The university remains focused on reaching a negotiated settlement. That is the preferred outcome and the best outcome.”

Conciliation talks between the university and QUFA continue later this week.

Regular updates on all negotiation activity at Queen’s can be found at http://www.queensu.ca/labournews/