Bargaining teams between the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and the Atlantic Academic Union (AAU) are at the table Thursday, with a conciliator, in an effort to prevent a strike.

It’s the first time the two sides have met, since declaring an impasse, February 29.

Key issues include wages, workload and working conditions.

In a statement Monday, the union says, more than 75 per cent of members voted down the latest offer from NSCC last week, which was a 7 or 8 per cent pay increase over three years.

President of AAU, Barbara Gillis says, this is behind other institutions as well as the inflationary rate of 14 per cent.

If the latest talks fail, the union says members will likely walk off the job by Monday -marking the first strike in NSCC’s history.

The college says they remain hopeful they will come to an agreement without job action.

AAU represents more than 1,000 members, nearly half of the college’s provincial workforce.