AASUA Strike Pay and Benefits Primer
This primer is intended to provide AASUA Members with preliminary information about the AASUA’s financial preparations for a potential strike or lockout. In the event that a strike or lockout is called, additional, specific information about strike pay and work requirements will be shared with Members. As described below, AASUA is well prepared to support Members should a strike be necessary.
Why is strike pay necessary?
During a strike or lockout, the terms in the Collective Agreement regarding compensation do not apply. For those employees deemed essential, terms and conditions of employment, including compensation, are contained in the Essential Services Agreement (ESA). Everybody else is considered on strike or locked out, and as such receives no compensation from the Employer. The AASUA is prepared to provide Members with strike pay to compensate for lost employment income during a strike or lockout.
How much strike pay will I receive?
In the event of a strike or lockout, Members who meet the minimum work requirements of three hours each day, five days a week, will receive $100 in strike pay per day, five days a week. All Members are eligible to receive the same amount. Strike pay is not taxable, and no premiums are taken off, so Members are able to keep 100% of what they earn. This level of net income is approximately equivalent to the take-home income of someone earning an annual gross salary of $50,000.
How will I receive my strike pay?
Strike pay will be mailed to Members’ homes in the form of a cheque. In preparation, it is very important that all Members provide their home mailing address to AASUA using this form: https://protectourfuture.ca/action/stayconnected/
What do I need to do to receive strike pay?
AASUA provides strike or lockout pay to Members who participate in duties assigned by the Job Action Committee. These duties include all types of work in support of the strike, from walking picket lines at one of the University of Alberta campuses, to calling Members, making picket line signs, and carrying out administrative tasks at the campaign headquarters and remotely. Those Members who meet the minimum work requirements for the strike will be paid from the strike funds. The minimum is three hours each day, five days a week.
Members who are not able to participate physically in one of the picket lines or at the strike headquarters will be offered other ways to contribute to the job action. In some cases, Members may be exempted from particular strike activities if they are physically or otherwise unable to participate.
Members who do not participate in their assigned activities may not receive their strike pay or receive a reduced amount. Engagement and participation by the Membership is absolutely key to ensure a short, effective, and successful strike.
Where does the money come from?
The AASUA has its own Strike/Lockout fund and is also a member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Defence Fund, which provides financial support during a strike.
For the first three days that AASUA Members are on strike, the AASUA strike fund will cover the full amount of each Member’s strike pay. From day four until the end of the strike, the CAUT Defence Fund covers the first $88/day of each Member’s strike pay and AASUA provides the top up amount. As a member of the CAUT Defence Fund, AASUA is also eligible for a loan from CAUT should we deplete our own strike funds. This additional backing ensures that we can remain on strike until a solution deemed acceptable by the Membership has been reached.
How will my health and insurance benefits be affected?
The Employer has stated it will continue to maintain coverage for all Members for the following benefits during a strike or lockout, so long as the AASUA pays the Employer for the costs of these benefits, which the AASUA is willing to do:
● Supplementary health care (includes drugs, medical services, paramedicals, vision, coverage for medical emergencies while travelling out of country, etc.)
● Dental
● Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
● Health Spending Account (HSA)
● Child care benefit
The Labour Relations Code requires that the Employer must continue coverage for all insurance schemes during a strike so long as the AASUA continues payment for these premiums, which the AASUA is willing to do, such as:
● Basic Life Insurance
● Basic Critical Insurance
● Long term disability benefits (LTD) premiums (premiums in place for some constituency groups)
The AASUA is ready to remit up to $32 per day per Member currently enrolled in the benefits plan to the Employer to cover premiums for the benefits and insurance schemes listed above in the event of a strike or lockout, and Members will experience uninterrupted coverage. Benefits and insurance will continue to be administered by the existing providers, and Members do not need to change anything about how they access them.
Members who are not enrolled in the benefits plan would receive up to this $32 per day directly as part of their strike pay.
Optional insurance schemes will be treated differently in the event of a strike or lockout. The Labour Relations Code requires that all insurance schemes maintained by the Employer on behalf of and payable by the employees shall continue so long as the premiums are paid for, such as:
● Optional member life insurance
● Optional spousal and dependant life insurance
● Optional Accidental Death and Dismemberment (ADD)
● Optional member critical illness
● Optional spousal critical illness
● Optional benefit premiums that TLAPS participate in under Schedule G, Appendix G.
Employees who are currently enrolled in these optional insurance schemes will be responsible for reimbursing the AASUA for these premiums in the event of a strike or lockout, and the AASUA would then remit the premiums to the Employer on behalf of employees enrolled in these optional insurance schemes. In the event of a strike or lockout, Members will be required to fill out a form and provide proof of optional insurance, such as a copy of their last pay stub, to AASUA at the commencement of any job action.
Business travel insurance covers employees travelling on business for the university. This insurance would cease during job action.
How will my pension benefits be affected?
For the duration of a strike or lockout, you will not receive pensionable earnings and no pension contributions will be made by the Employer. This will impact your total pension contributions for the year in question and result in the time period of the strike or lockout being deducted from the total service calculation. However, strikes in the post-secondary education sector normally do not last long. The recent strike at Concordia University of Edmonton, for example, lasted only 10 days including weekends. The average length of such strikes in Canada is about three weeks (see “Average Length of Strikes” table below for more information). A strike or lockout should not have a significant effect on retirement or pension earnings for AASUA Members. As per the rules of the UAPP, you may be eligible to pay out-of-pocket for the missed contributions if you qualify. It is recommended that Members contact UAPP for more information.
What if I am on maternity or parental leave?
During any strike or lockout, the Employer is required to continue any statutory leaves taken by Members in accordance with Employment Standards Code and Employment Insurance (EI) and to continue paying “top up benefit payments” as these are Members’ “vested” rights in the collective agreement for Members who are on maternity leave or parental leave.
Maternity or parental leave benefits should continue uninterrupted in the event of a strike or lockout. Members who have questions about these benefits should contact Human Resources.
What if I am on sick, disability, medical, or similar approved leave?
During a strike or lockout, the Employer is required by law to continue paying compensation and benefits to Members for all “leaves” and any self-funded benefits, such as Long Term Disability Benefits, that the Employer has committed to before job action has occurred. The following leaves are “vested” rights of Members that legally change their employment status and therefore are not affected by job action:
● Short term sick leave
● Medical accommodation agreements and supplements
● Compassionate leave
● Assisted leaves to pursue graduate study
● Political leaves that release Members from duties during when they hold public office
● Discretionary leaves that the Provost has granted (with pay, partial pay, or without pay) to Members before job action
● Administrative leaves to academic administrators in accordance with Board policies
● Special travel leave to assist Members to complete the requirements for their PhD degree or equivalent
● Long Term Disability benefits (LTD) (including employer’s self-funded costs for other constituency groups)
What if I am on sabbatical leave, professional leave, or seconded with an external employer?
Members who are on sabbatical leave, professional leave, or who are seconded with an external employer will not have their leaves continued during a strike or lockout. These employees’ employment duties and responsibilities are terminated upon commencement of strike or lockout, and they would be expected to participate in job action. There is no collective agreement that protects these types of leave. The remainder of your leave would have to be negotiated in an orderly return to work agreement, but typically the portion of leave lost during job action is not replaced. In other words, the end date of your leave would not be extended.
What if I have a vacation planned during the strike period?
Normally, vacation under the collective agreement is a “right of entitlement” where Members take time off from their work with full pay without interruption of their continued employment with the Employer. Some Members (those in specific non-continuing positions) receive pay in lieu of vacation. The collective agreement allows for payout of an amount in lieu of missed vacation time under certain circumstances, such as resignation or retirement.
During a strike or lockout, Members can continue with their vacation plans, but they will not receive their salary. In addition, vacation accruals cease during a strike or lockout because you are no longer working for the Employer.
AASUA will not stand in the way of Members taking a planned vacation away from home during job action. Cancelling travel plans has no effect on the Employer.
Members who are away from home (due to a sabbatical or professional leave, secondment, vacation, etc.) will still be entitled to earn strike pay during job action. The AASUA will provide other duties that can be undertaken by these Members that will not require them to physically participate in picket action.
What if I still have questions?
If you have any additional questions, concerns, or comments regarding the financial aspects of a potential strike, please reach out to AASUA staff. The general email address is Email Reception.
From Average length of strikes, 1990-2018. Source. Workplace Information Division at the Labour Program, Employment and Social Development Canada, Government of Canada 2019.
