By Kavi Chahal, Communications Staff
Post-secondary education workers shoulder a unique responsibility. They create and foster environments that allow students to learn and grow. They ensure students have the tools and resources they need to grow as people and contribute to our communities. They bring immeasurable value to post-secondary institutions across the province.
AUPE members working in the education sector deserve recognition for all they do. Instead, the Alberta government is interfering with collective bargaining, forcing our employers to offer bad deals at the bargaining table.
“Albertans are struggling right now, and workers in post-secondary education are no exception,” says AUPE Vice-President Bobby-Joe Borodey, who is from the post-secondary sector at Olds College. “The government has made serious funding cuts, and this has led to worse conditions for both staff and students.”
Fair working conditions. Job security. Improved benefits. Wages that keep up with the staggering cost of living. Those are our basic, reasonable demands
Several years surging inflation means we struggle to put food on the table and keep the lights on. AUPE members at post-secondary institutions are bargaining for better wages, benefits, job security, and more, and so are other post-secondary workers and AUPE members in other sectors. We are going to have to fight for what we deserve, because we know our employers and the government are not just going to hand it to us.
“Fair working conditions. Job security. Improved benefits. Wages that keep up with the staggering cost of living. Those are our basic, reasonable demands,” says Borodey.
The provincial government’s solution to the crisis in post-secondary? Another government ‘review’ that will no doubt justify more budget cuts. The Chair of the new “Expert Panel on Post-Secondary Institution Funding and Alberta’s Competitiveness” has called for reduced public funding in the past, and likely will again. This government ‘review’ could destabilize post-secondary education further.
Our bosses, including the government, are only going to budge if we show them we’re willing to fight for more than the scraps they’re offering.
“We don’t need another government so-and-so telling us to accept bad working conditions,” says Borodey. “We need funding and resources to deliver a world-class post-secondary system that attracts students and supports their success.”
AUPE members know that we deserve significant raises and better working conditions, whether we work for the University of Calgary, Lethbridge College, Norquest, or several other institutions. We must stand in solidarity with each other to win at the bargaining table.
“Wear red to show your support, and start organizing at your workplace,” says Borodey. “If you don’t know where to start, AUPE’s Organizing department can help you get going. Our bosses, including the government, are only going to budge if we show them we’re willing to fight for more than the scraps they’re offering.”