Dear members,

On November 18 the employer e-mailed all AASUA members with a link to the "Opening Statement from the U of A to the AASUA". This statement provides a summary of the Board of Governor's opening bargaining proposal as well as a rationale for much of what is contained in that proposal.

AASUA Lead Negotiator Gordon Swaters, who has been following national trends in academic compensation for the last decade, took objection to the assertions made by the employer in their opening statement, and posted a statement to the AASUA Members' Forum where he uses data from numerous sources to set the record straight on the employer's claims about academic salaries and benefits at the U of A.

This is important information that not only corrects some of the employer's assertions, but also demonstrates the degree to which the AASUA has moderated our proposals in light of the current context. For that reason, with Gordon's permission, we have turned his analysis into a pdf document, which will be much easier for our members to read and share. I am attaching that pdf to this message, and we have also posted it on the AAUSA website for ease of linking.

I hope you find the information useful. I hope to "see" you at our AGM this afternoon.  If you haven't already done so, there is still time for you to register and attend.

Sincerely,
Ricardo