Students at UNBC spoke loud and clear on their support of the Faculty Association during a rally today (Friday) in Prince George.
The strike between the employer and the faculty association has entered its third week.
Third-year Environmental Engineering student Lucia Dekleer told MyNechakoValleyNow the student body is walking on eggshells.
“It feels like the last two weeks have been stolen, I haven’t gotten a lot done and it’s not a vacation because we are worried every day. We still have to get work done but we’re not sure how much and we’re sitting here losing money.”
She adds the stoppage has been tough on everyone.
“We feel really degraded and unmotivated to keep pushing and it feels like the last two weeks have been robbed from us so it’s really important to show that frustration.”
Jennifer Coburn is a Master of Arts Gender Studies candidate who said the strike has been problematic.
“Normally, I would be preparing my thesis defense with my classmates and supervisors and I can’t do that, I’m also in the situation where if this continues will I still defend in December or will I have to do it next year? This also affects the jobs that I apply for.”
Coburn believes a raise to the faculty could make a world of difference.
“How they are paid and how they are treated directly affects us and it’s really about continuing to make that trust with the faculty and the administration and students as well. I think it’s really important as well.”
On Thursday, UNBC announced students can expect a pro-rated credit that will depend on the length of the stoppage.
However, Coburn believes that might not work for everyone.
“When I read that, I was like well, what does that mean for everyone, every student, every single situation. You can’t just provide a blanket solution when every student is affected so differently in this situation.”
Regardless of how the strike turns out, Dekleer believes the students will still be in a tough spot.
“Either way we’re still stressed because it’s not certain what’s going to be honored and how many credits are going to be given as we don’t have a lot of trust in the system at the moment.”
The strike began on November 7th.