Dear Colleagues,
We are now well into the second month of the MUNACA strike action. In spite of the many contingency plans put into effect across the spectrum of activities and sites associated with the Faculty of Medicine, the impact of the absence of 600 colleagues is being increasingly felt. I thank all of you for your efforts and for your commitment, and I am acutely aware that we are pushing ourselves to the limit in order to continue fulfilling, in a prioritized fashion, our academic mission.
The challenges and difficulties we are facing extend across the Faculty, Schools and affiliated network, and are particularly pronounced in the research domain, in the administration of our many teaching programs dispersed across the Faculty and in our teaching hospitals. We are, through meetings with the Research Resource Committee, the Faculty’s Clerkship and Residency Program Directors, the Medical Managers and other groups, as well as through other mechanisms, capturing the current challenges and critical needs. These are being forwarded to the Central University Administration. Additionally, we are, to the extent possible, putting into effect or revising contingency plans.
This coming week, the Provost will join us in a meeting with the Chairs of the Departments and the Faculty leadership, at my invitation, at which time these issues will be further discussed in detail. Separate meetings are also scheduled with the Directors of the University’s Human Resources, during which we will review and assess what can be done to address our critical needs. The many issues being faced by the Faculty are being conveyed to the University Administration on every available occasion.
As we are all aware, negotiations between MUNACA and the University representatives are ongoing, under the auspices of a conciliator. We must hope and strive for a rapid and meaningful settlement of this strike.
Sincerely,
Samuel Benaroya, MDCM
Interim Vice-Principal (Health Affairs)
Interim Dean of the Faculty of Medicine