AASUA

What we are told is happening at UofA

What is really happening at UofA

The UofA doesn’t have the money to offer

better contracts to academic staff

The UofA had a surplus of $53.65 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year end in the Consolidated Statement of Operations

(source)

The UofA is invested in Equity, Diversity, and

 Inclusion

The employer is directing its most aggressive

cuts at the most precarious staff

The UofA plans to grow by 10,000 students 

 over the next three years

The employer wants to educate these students by expanding its reliance on academic teaching staff (ATS) on contract, and is proposing a two-tiered pay-scale, so that these future academics will be paid less than current members

The UofA wants to provide the best programs in Canada that engage students in experiential learning and prepare students for success; this isn’t possible without raising tuition

Undergraduate students are paying 14% more tuition compared to two years ago, but they are not receiving more. The employer is cutting support-staff positions, and there has been a hiring freeze for the past 2 years

The UofA is dedicated to building and maintaining a world-class research university, and it understands that academic staff are at the heart of this mission

In 2019-2020, the employer only allocated 21.5% of its Operating Budget to academic salaries, but the average allocation at Canadian universities was 29.7% (source). If the UofA had allocated the same fraction of its operating budget to academic salaries, it would have had another $99.86 million to attract new researchers to Edmonton and provide stable employment to Albertans

The UofA is trying to reach a fair deal with academic staff through the bargaining process and is doing everything possible to  avoid labour disruption

The employer brings unreasonable proposals to the table: their opening proposal included a retroactive pay-cut, meaning they wanted academic staff to pay back money they had already earned (source). Their latest proposal relies on a divide-and-conquer strategy.

The UofA is dedicated to providing remote

 instruction throughout the pandemic

The employer is refusing to reimburse instructors for equipment and software they needed to purchase out of pocket to make it possible to work from home during the pandemic