History professor Jon Swainger has been teaching at the University of Northern B.C. since day one.
"Literally day one," said Swainger, adding he was the first academic hired back in August 1992.
On day one of the faculty strike, Swainger stood with about 50 colleagues and supporters on the picket line. CUPE Local 3799, representing UNBC support staff, also held signs outside the main campus. Buses made stops just outside the entrance.
Swainger called the situation disheartening.
"You've got people who have built entire careers making it what it is and we're all proud of our Maclean's ranking and what we can do," said Swainger on Thursday afternoon as cars honked driving by.
Compensation has been the main barrier preventing the two sides from finalizing a contract.
Swainger said he makes one third less than comparable professors across Canada.
"I just ask anyone to think about that. How many people would be prepared to subsidize their employer for one third of your salary?"
Swainger said compensation has been a point of contention for more than 10 years, and faculty and the university have been trying to work out an agreement since 2012, long before faculty unionized in April 2014.
When the strike was announced late Wednesday night after negotiations, UNBC made public its offer to the professors of $4.5 million over five years.
In an op-ed in the Citizen, acting provost John Young said the university made a "reasonable and respectful" offer, pointing to a five-year compensation package that includes 0 per cent for the first year, one per cent in the second year and 1.5 per cent for the final three years.
When asked how long faculty was prepared to strike, Swainger said they are there to "fight the good fight.
"The simple fact is you have a lot of people who are just fed up. Fed up with the ridiculous treatment of the evidence of how poorly we're paid and fed up with being treated like the bad guys.
"There are fundamental principles at stake here."
Grad students Janna Olynick, 21, and Rebecca Collins, 23, stood with faculty Thursday afternoon.
"As students who eventually want to be professors, it only makes sense for us to support the kind of people that we want to be because this is setting us up for our future if we decide to stay at UNBC," said Olynick, adding later that at the rate professors are currently paid, it wouldn't attract her to the institution to teach.
"I'm personally sensing a lot of support (among students) through social networking," added Collins, who said she overhears support in the hallways and sees students wearing faculty pins, pointing to one pinned to her collar.
"They're not getting what they deserve."
Collins, who noted that the recruitment rate for students at UNBC is declining, said there needs to be a compromise.
"There's a balance and we know that and the faculty knows that too. It's just getting it to a fair balance where it's not a joke about how much they're getting paid."
Other UNBC organizations said they wouldn't cross the picket line, including UNBC student services, Over the Edge Newspaper Society, CFUR Radio Society, the Northern Pride Centre Society, the Prince George Public Interest Research Group and the Northern Women's Centre.
Talks continued Thursday and are expected to go ahead Friday. The faculty have planned a rally Saturday at the courthouse at noon.
