Labour Relations Update

As of Monday, Jan. 30, MUNFA is on strike.

Memorial University and the Memorial University Faculty Association (MUNFA) have been engaged in collective bargaining since January 2022 as both parties work to reach a collective agreement. Memorial remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached through bargaining.

At the same time, contingency planning is underway to minimize the impacts of any potential strike in the winter 2023 semester. Memorial University’s Labour Relations website will be updated regularly as information becomes available.

This page is dedicated to information related to the Faculty of Medicine, its educational programs and available resources.    

For updates on the MUNFA strike and labour relations, graduate students should consult the Labour Relations website for updates. The frequently asked questions page in particular will be updated regularly with information specific to students.

Need to speak with someone in the Faculty of Medicine? Contact the Office of Research and Graduate Studies: 709-864-6337.

 

PGME does not anticipate any disruptive impact resulting from the strike. Any impacts secondary to the strike action will be specific to individual training program curricula/learners and will be addressed by the program on an as-needed basis.

Throughout the MUNFA strike, Memorial’s UGME team will continue to deliver Doctor of Medicine (MD) program sessions, which have been assigned to non-bargaining clinical faculty and instructors. Any time allocated to MUNFA members’ sessions that is missed as a result of the strike will be temporarily reallocated as self-directed learning time, and may be rescheduled by MUNFA faculty members upon their return.     

How are MUNFA members involved in the delivery of the MD program?

The MD program is delivered by our MUNFA faculty, non-bargaining clinical faculty and other instructors.

Our MUNFA faculty are typically involved in the delivery of content in the areas of BioMedical Sciences (BMS) and Community Health and Humanities (CHH).

Our MUNFA faculty sessions may be rescheduled once normal operations resume.

How will the MD curriculum be delivered throughout the strike?

The MD program will continue to be delivered by non-bargaining clinical faculty and instructors as currently scheduled. Times allocated to our MUNFA faculty throughout the strike will be reallocated as self-directed learning time in the schedule, temporarily. Sessions missed throughout the strike may be rescheduled once our MUNFA members resume normal operations.

There will be no curriculum delivery changes throughout the strike.

Clinical Skills will continue as scheduled, delivered by non-bargaining clinical faculty.

Learner research may continue in cases where direct supervision of a MUNFA member is not required.

The UGME team does not plan to suspend MD program learning as a result of the MUNFA strike.

Will exams go ahead throughout the strike?

All examinations will go ahead as scheduled.

All approved accommodations will remain in place.

In line with the normal process, only content which has been delivered to learners will be assessed.

In line with the normal process, examination challenge cards will be reviewed by the assessment team and the timing of results and reassessment will not be impacted.

In all cases, postponed content will be delivered in advance of the respective assessment(s). Delayed content will be assessed on subsequent examination(s) and assignment due dates will be revised, as needed.

What will MD Program delivery look like throughout the MUNFA strike?

The time allocated to our MUNFA faculty throughout the duration of the strike will be reallocated as self-directed learning time in the Phase 2 and Phase 3 schedules. Schedules will be revisited on a weekly (or more frequent) basis, as needed.

For example, in the two-week period following Jan. 30 2023, Phase 2 currently has 7 hours of MUNFA-led sessions and Phase 3 has 4 hours of MUNFA-led sessions. The 11 hours (7 + 4) will be reallocated as self-directed learning time in the schedules (as needed). Non-bargaining clinical faculty and instructors will continue to teach as they are currently scheduled throughout the strike.

Once MUNFA faculty members resume normal operations, some rescheduling will be required to ensure the missed sessions which span two or more 50-minute blocks can be scheduled as such, without interruption.

The schedule will be maintained with a one-to-one replacement of MUNFA-led sessions in place of self-directed learning sessions from the pre-strike schedule. In this case, the 11 self-directed learning hours gained throughout a two-week strike will be reallocated to the 11 hours of MUNFA-led sessions missed throughout the strike once MUNFA faculty resume normal operations.

To speak with someone in the UGME office, call 709-864-8463.

All Memorial learners have free access to Keep.meSAFE, a 24/7 mental health support service with real-time and/or appointment-based counselling support in 60+ languages, through phone or online chat.

Learners can also reach out through the Student Wellness and Counselling Centre.

The Office of Learner Well-Being and Success (LWS) is a safe and confidential space to assist and support undergraduate and post-graduate learners. Learners who are experiencing difficulties are encouraged to consult with the Learner Well-Being Consultant by calling 864-6349 or e-mailing studentwellness@med.mun.ca during regular work hours. If you require resources outside of regular business hours please visit our website here for a list of resources. 

Employees can avail of services through Memorial’s Employee Assistance Program.