The union that represents administrative, instructional, and technical support staff at several MUN campuses across the province says jobs will be cut as part of the recently-announced closures.
The university initially stated that there would be no immediate layoffs despite its decision to divest from four properties.
At a later news conference, President Janet Morrison confirmed that seven staff at the Harlow Campus will lose their jobs, but there are no anticipated impacts to those who work at the Signal Hill Campus or the printing services building.
Now, CUPE 1615 president Bill Kavanagh says they have been told jobs will be cut.
(VOCM News)
He says stating publicly that there will be no layoffs, but then quietly confirming that jobs will be eliminated, “undercuts any critical response to the university’s decision-making.”
Kavanagh continues that jobs held by his members will be eliminated, along with the services they provide.
Over the last 15 years, he says similar moves have reduced their membership from nearly 1,500 to under 700, and since 2013 public funding to MUN has been cut by half.
Kavanagh argues that the answer to MUN’s financial woes is to restore public funding. He says implementing a tuition freeze, but not restoring funding, is “irresponsible at best” and “a complete abandonment” of people in the province at its worst.
