Dear Colleagues,
The Government of Alberta’s current mandate for this University insists on eroding our salaries under inflation and the Employer refuses to commit to maintaining our health and dental benefits plan. Yesterday, the Employer’s behavior demonstrated the complete lack of seriousness with which they approached the formal mediation process.
Your negotiating team has made the difficult decision to declare impasse because they know AASUA members won’t accept a catastrophic shortfall in the funding of our health and dental benefits plan. Currently, the plan is expected to be about $20 million in the red by 2028 without immediate, and drastic, intervention. With the Employer refusing to budge on this core issue, it is clear they are simply not serious about reaching a fair deal through formal mediation.
What happens next is up to all of us. Your negotiating team needs you to vote YES in the strike vote to empower them to get a fair deal.
This message outlines:
AASUA’s and the Employer’s last proposals at mediation
Of note in the Employer’s last offer on the funding of the health and dental benefits plan is the use of “TBD” language. We have offered precise wording to the Employer’s bargaining team so that our current benefits plan entitlements can continue. The Employer explicitly wants to radically reduce our health and dental benefits. This is something your bargaining team simply will not agree to. PERIOD.
It is beyond outrageous that the Employer is offering an ATB that will not even undo the erosion of our salaries due to inflation and, additionally, wants to radically roll back our benefits entitlements.
AASUA has prepared a summary of both proposals here. The following chart is an at-a-glance comparison of both proposals.
What happens next
This morning Mediator Deb Howes checked out without issuing recommendations. This means the 14-day “cooling-off” period before the Association can hold a strike vote begins today.
We are aiming to have a strike vote as soon as possible after the cooling-off period. This also means the Employer has the right to lock out academic staff as early as the week of October 6.
Another possibility is the Employer could table a new offer and put that offer to a vote of the Association’s membership.
How you can stand up for a fair deal
No one wants a strike, but if we don’t demonstrate a willingness to withdraw our services and expertise, the Employer will have no motivation to table a serious offer. Your negotiating team needs you to vote YES in the strike vote to empower them to get a fair deal.
While a strike vote is new to our union, it is not novel to thousands of our colleagues across Canada. It is important to understand a positive strike vote does not mean we’re automatically on strike. Rather, it empowers the Executive to call a strike at any time within the next 120 days (providing 72-hours’ notice to the Employer prior to the commencement of job action).
It is also important to remember that at any point in this process a deal may be reached.
Should AASUA members indeed go on strike, please be assured members are eligible for strike pay.
AASUA will also cover the cost of our members’ health and dental benefits plan during job action. Members who are not currently enrolled in the benefits plan will receive approximately $27 per day in addition to their strike pay.
AASUA has prepared a Q&A outlining common job action questions and strike pay details.
Upcoming bargaining town hall
AASUA will host a virtual bargaining town hall on September 26 at 12 noon to 1PM. Members will be able to hear directly from our Lead Negotiator and ask questions about next steps to achieve a fair deal for academic staff. Please stay tuned for an invite to register.
AASUA Executive is also available to all Faculties, departments, or units that would like an in-person presentation and Q&A. To request a presentation please contact AASUA Communications.
In solidarity,
Gordon Swaters
AASUA President