Gig work is threatening world-class education at the University of Alberta.
By trapping researchers and educators in short-term contracts with low pay and no benefits, U of A administration is forcing its employees to take on unsustainable workloads to make ends meet.
What’s at stake is the learning experience. Precarious work means less time for instructors to spend with students and less time for course planning.
In public, precarious instructors and researchers receive university awards for their dedication to teaching and their invaluable work. Behind the scenes, they are disrespected by their Employer, often forced to wait through the entire summer to find out if they still have their job.
To make matters worse, last year university administration introduced a two-tiered salary scale to take effect in 2024: new contract-based instructors will make less than current ones, creating even more inequity.
Now, the university is planning to massively grow undergraduate enrolment by 16,000 students. There is currently no plan to #MakeItFair by providing academic staff with secure, ongoing employment. It looks like university administration is planning to continue down this unsustainable path that risks our high-quality education. We’re growing the wrong way.
We’re calling on U of A President Bill Flanagan and Board of Governors Chair Kate Chisholm to stand up for our university and put an end to unfair employment. Not only will turning away from this harmful practice of gig work protect the learning experience academic staff can provide, it will also prove the U of A’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is more than just lip service.
Help us #MakeItFair by sending a letter to President Flanagan and Chair Chisholm now.