St. Thomas University locked out its full-time and part-time academic staff units on Dec. 27, and postponed the beginning of the winter term.

In a letter to Tom McBrearty, the university’s chairman of the board, CAUT president Greg Allain pointed out lessons learned from other sectors — that lockouts rarely do more than generate ill-will and make the eventual resolution more difficult to achieve.

“There is a special irony in a Catholic university not only being the first to preemptively lock out its staff (during the school year), but choosing to do so over the Christmas holidays,” Allain wrote.

In the face of the lockout and employer intransigence at the bargaining table, the faculty association conducted a strike vote in early January. With 96 per cent of the full-time bargaining unit voting, 77 per cent backed a strike mandate. Support for a strike in the part-time unit was above 80 per cent, with an 86 per cent turnout. Both units went on strike Jan. 9.

“The administration up to now has spent an enormous amount of energy and resources on public relations and on exacerbating anxiety among students,” said faculty association president Suzanne Dudziak in announcing the strike.

“With a strong strike vote, and now a strike, we believe we can redirect their energies to the bargaining table. That’s where the resolution lies to the present disruption of studies at St. Thomas.”

Academic staff have been without a contract since July 1. In the last round of negotiations, bargaining continued for 18 months beyond the expiry of the previous contract. A tentative settlement was reached within three days once the faculty association received a strong strike vote from the membership.