A coalition of unions representing workers at Memorial University is calling on the provincial government for an increase in funding as MUN stares down a nearly $9-million budgetary deficit.
The province began the process years ago to make the university more autonomous of government.
Bill Kavanaugh, the president of CUPE Local 1615, is leading a coalition of close to 20 unions and campus associations calling for government to restore funding to MUN.
He says they’ve reached out to the premier on the issue, but have yet to hear back as a coalition.
Kavanagh says worker morale at the university is being affected, and the infrastructure is “crumbling.”
He says the level of disrepair at the university is symbolic of the issues at other levels of the institution, including labour, curriculum, student services, cuts to courses and understaffing.
