Your bargaining team met with the employer on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The employer presented their monetary proposal of a two-year agreement with zero per cent increases in each year. They also asserted that there is no money to deal with any of the union’s other monetary proposals.
We have now reached a point in negotiations where all non-monetary issues have been discussed and many of them have been resolved.
As such, most of the discussion centered on the university’s financial situation and their ability to pay for the union’s proposals. We presented economic and financial information compiled by AUPE’s research department showing that the union’s proposals are inline with comparable post-secondary settlements and economic data.
The research also showed that the university has received increases in a variety of funding sources from the provincial and federal governments, including increases to the Campus Alberta Grant, which on their own would be more than enough to cover the cost of AUPE salary and benefit proposals.
In addition, enrolment has been increasing over the past five years, leading to a record year in 2017-18. Enrolment is expected to continue growing over the coming years.
However, even with the university posting operating surpluses over the past several years, the faculty and staff have experienced cutbacks. AUPE Local 053 has not seen a significant increase in hiring to deal with greater workloads and record enrolment. Nevertheless, expenditures on central administration and university leadership have soared during the same period.
Our next bargaining meetings are scheduled for Jan. 29 to 31, 2018.
Your bargaining team will continue pushing for a fair collective agreement and will work to keep you informed throughout the bargaining process.
If you have any feedback, questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact a member of your bargaining team or AUPE resource staff.
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE BARGAINING TEAM MEMBERS:
Tammy Paskuski 403-394-1511 or tammy.pasksuki@uleth.ca
Jacob Cameron 403-795-8294 or jacob.cameron@uleth.ca
Jeff Vucurevich 403-394-8784 or vucurevich@uleth.ca
Michael McKenna 403-327-9663 or mckem0@uleth.ca
AUPE RESOURCE STAFF:
Dale Perry Negotiator d.perry@aupe.org or 1-800-232-7284
Dave Malka Organizer d.malka@aupe.org 780-231-1800
Merryn Edwards Communications m.edwards@aupe.org or 780-952-1951