The University of Windsor has issued a lockout date of July 3rd.
Brian Brown, president of the Windsor University Faculty Association, says negotiations were going well.
But he says administration's decision to file for a mediator, which comes with a lockout deadline, is highly unusual
"There has never been a lockout of a faculty. Students are concerned, especially graduate students. They aren't sure what's going to happen."
Fatir Ali, an international student, is enrolled in six classes and doesn't like the thought of having classes halted.
"You should think about the student more. I think they should be more responsible, and they should think about us and emphathize with us."
The union represents 1,140 members and says negotiations will continue. Their contract expires on June 30th.
Caught off guard by the university’s submission of a no-board report for the lockout, it was approved by the Ministry of Labour.
Brown says if a lockout happens, it will be the first time in Ontario’s history that a university has locked out its staff.
According to the university, the no-board report was requested to enable the conciliation officer to become a mediator to speed up negotiations.
"We've done all we can. We've made it very clear, use all the resources we can toward trying to get a new agreement done and that's what the mediation process is about," says Alan Wildeman, university president.
The no-board report also puts the union in a legal strike position as of July 3rd.
Mediation sessions are set for June 24 to 26.
