Dear fellow practicum/field leaders,
I work at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, where there is a faculty union. The union is currently in negotiations with administration over a new contract, and they are preparing to strike sometime mid-March. This may or not happen, but we're trying to plan ahead for students and classes. So, of course, the question of how practicum experiences may be impacted if a strike does occur. Have any of you experienced this at your institutions? Initial questions from our team include:
1) If practicum faculty participated in the strike, did their students still attend practica at agencies on the days of the strike? We foresee potential issues of client impact and continuity of care if students are advised to pause attendance. It would, of course, impact accrual of hours for students as well.
2) If students did continue to go to their placements, did the faculty liaison role get reassigned to someone else for the event of an agency crisis or student emergency at site? How were those decision made in your settings? Our practicum directors are staff (not a part of the union) but do teach. If we were to take on the classes for faculty on strike, we are essentially strike breaking. But, we need students to have someone at our school to be there if an emergency happens while they are at their placement.
3) How CSWE compliance impacted?
4) Other considerations thought?
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Sara Lien
MSW Field Director
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth MN
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