Yukon University and the union representing the school’s workers are expected to return to the bargaining table this week, in an attempt to avoid a labour disruption.

The Yukon Employees’ Union voted in January in favour of a strike mandate, meaning there could be job action as early as March 2.

The two sides disagree on certain terms of the collective agreement between the university, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Yukon Employees’ Union. That agreement expired in June 2024.

Yukon University interim president Shelagh Rowles said the university and the union are set to meet Monday through Wednesday.

Rowles said the two sides are “quite far apart” when it comes to settling on wages.

She said the union is asking for a wage increase of 17.5 per cent but the university is mandated to raise wages by no more than 11 per cent.

Last Wednesday, the university’s governing senate paused a vote on the academic disruption plan in the event of a strike so senate representatives can better reflect student concerns in the plan. That plan is intended to dictate how a potential strike will affect students.

Rowles commented on the senate’s duty to provide certainty for students.

“This is an opportunity for the parties to come together to find a solution,” she said. “The senate has a responsibility to have a solution to that, to have a pathway and communication for students to be able to finish the term.”

Parth Vavadiya is an international undergraduate student at Yukon University. He shares concerns around a lack of clarity for students.

Vavadiya said he has fears about maintaining his grades and not being able to afford tuition and rent if a strike goes ahead and his study visa may be affected.

Vavadiya is coming to terms with the potential picket lines on campus. He said he remains confident leaders in the student union and university senate will get more assurance for students.

Students at the Yukon School of Visual Arts (SOVA) in Dawson City told CBC News they’re feeling uneasy, as well. SOVA receives its accreditation from Yukon University.

SOVA student Olive Siemens says they need to complete all their courses by the end of June to attend the Ontario College of Art & Design University in Toronto next fall, as planned.

Still, Siemens says they are behind the faculty.

“I kind of need to also just trust that what’s going to happen is going to happen and it’s going to be OK,” Siemens said.

Two student leaders have been invited to be part of an ad hoc committee created to put forward the academic disruption plan.

Student union president Mandeep Singh is one of two student representatives on the committee tasked with signing off on the plan.

His chief concerns are the strike’s potential impact on academics, finances and mental health.

Singh said students are demanding more clear information ahead of possible labour action because students would bear the brunt of the consequences.

“Students are really crying when they are telling their stories,” he said. “That really makes me very stressed and also very sad.”

He said he hopes a strike will be averted if the university and union can reach a deal soon.