Your negotiating team is fighting for wage increases
We met with the employer again on May 1 and 2. Both we and the employer have now tabled our full, comprehensive monetary packages.
The employer offered a four-year Collective Agreement with the following wage increases:
- Year 1: 2%
- Year 2: 2%
- Year 3: 1.75%
- Year 4: 1.75%
However, our position is a three-year Collective Agreement with the following wage increases:
- Year 1: 13%*
- Year 2: 6.50%*
- Year 3: 6.50 %*
*We are also proposing a cost-of-living formula, which is insurance against inflation.
Your negotiating team also demanded job security language improvements — we know this is a key priority for members.
Below you will find two charts that show what U of C members would have received in the last four years if our cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) proposal had been in place. The plan would be for members to receive lump-sum payments at the end of each year, the size of which depend on the Consumer Price Index.
The second chart supports our need for a substantial wage increases. Years of little or no increases means we have lost major purchasing power because of inflation.
Inflation vs. University of Calgary Wage Settlements
The table below shows the cumulative growth in both inflation in Alberta (as measured by the Consumer Price Index) and wage settlements for AUPE members of the University of Calgary bargaining unit. Between 2016 and 2024, while the price of goods and services in Alberta has increased almost 25%, wages for AUPE members at the University of Calgary have increased only 5%. As such, members are 20% less well off than they were in 2016.
The Bank of Canada is predicting an inflation rate of close to 3% for the first half of 2024 and says the path back to 2% will be gradual. Inflation in Canada started to spike three years ago, reaching as high as 8.1% in June 2022.
According to Statistics Canada, the Alberta inflation rate in January was 3.4%, higher than the national rate of 2.9%
We all know how hard it has been to keep up, to put food on our tables while grocery prices soared, to pay rent or mortgages as the cost of shelter hit staggering heights.
We’re scrambling to pay our bills and our employer wants us to fall further behind with raises less than the current inflation rate, while doing nothing to address the last few years. That’s why your team is fighting for substantial wage increases.
Urgent Bargaining Town Halls
AUPE’s Time for Action bargaining town halls are happening throughout June and all members are invited. Please visit the town hall website for details on the town hall nearest you.
You will also receive email invitations, shareable posters, and timely reminders to ensure everyone has the chance to attend. All AUPE members are encouraged to join these urgent town halls.
Future bargaining dates:
- May 22nd and 23rd
- June 12th and 13th
- We are canvassing more dates
Support your negotiating team by wearing red on bargaining days. Worker power comes from collective action so it’s vital the employer can see we are united in the fight for a fair collective agreement. Let’s work together to make sure the employer feels the pressure at the table and help our negotiating team deliver results!
Don’t forget to send photos of you and your coworkers wearing red to photos@aupe.org so the union can share them on social media.
If you have any questions or feedback about this bargaining update, please contact a member of your negotiating team.
Read U of C bargaining update #1 here
Read U of C bargaining update #2 here
AUPE NEGOTIATING TEAM
Stephanie Hawes
stephanie.hawes@gmail.com
Barbara McCutcheon
mccutcheon694@gmail.com
Dave Latos
aupe.bdjhh@passmail.net
Paulette Harrison
p.harrisroxie527@gmail.com
Peter Gimby
pgimby@hotmail.com
Darren MacLean (ALT)
darrenmac360@gmail.com
Frank Snow (ALT)
fcstr123@hotmail.com
AUPE NEGOTIATOR
James Mitchell, Negotiator
j.mitchell@aupe.org