FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 19, 2025 Edmonton — The Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta (AASUA) has
declared impasse in collective bargaining with the University of Alberta Board of Governors (BOG). Both parties will now enter a two-week ‘cooling-off’ period, after which the Association plans to hold a strike vote.
The Association declared impasse because they know U of A academic staff won’t accept a catastrophic shortfall in the funding of their health and dental benefits plan. Currently, the plan is expected to be reach a $20-million deficit by 2028, unless there is drastic intervention.
“AASUA made the difficult decision to declare impasse because University Administration was not serious about reaching a deal in formal mediation,” AASUA President, Gordon Swaters, said. “Their last offer used ‘TBD’ language on the funding of the benefits plan instead of real values. ‘TBD’ is a mystery, not a value we can bargain with.”
Other outstanding issues include salaries that are eroding under inflation, and improved job security for academic teaching staff trapped in short-term contracts. Currently, half of all U of A courses are taught by instructors on contract who often have little to no job security, are paid up to 57% less, and often don’t receive benefits.
This is the first time AASUA has declared impasse during collective bargaining, and the first time the Association will apply for a supervised strike vote.
“We wanted to reach a fair deal at the bargaining table, but we can only do that if the Employer gets to the table with serious offers,” Swaters said. “So we’re standing up for our members, who work day in and day out to ensure we have a world-class university right here in Alberta.”
About the AASUA: The AASUA represents approximately 4,000 members across five campuses in two cities. Our membership includes academic faculty, teaching staff, librarians, administrative professionals, and researchers.
Media Contact: Rachel Narvey,
AASUA Communications Officer