AUFA Bargaining Analyses

AUFA is currently in its first round of bargaining governed under strike/lockout provisions, where previously disputes went to compulsory arbitration. In this round of bargaining, AU has advanced a two-year wage freeze and an aggressive set of language rollbacks. Below are analyses of the AU Board’s proposals, and the results of polls sent to the AUFA membership on each of the proposals.

 
 

Professional appointments

AU has proposed the following changes to professional appointments:

 1.    The probationary review process is eliminated.

2.    AU may extend probation by 1 year with no appeal.

3.    Probationary employees may be terminated at any time.

The overall effect of these proposals is to give the employer total control over probationary reviews and significantly more power over professional employees during their probationary period. More details on these proposals follow below.

Layoffs

AU’s proposed changes to the current layoff language would cut:

1.    regular AUFA members’ layoff notices by half,

2.    term AUFA members’ termination pay by at least half, and

3.    permanent academics’ recall rights by 75% and permanent professionals’ recall rights by 87.5%.

These rollbacks make it less expensive for AU to layoff AUFA members. More details on these proposals follow below.

discipline

AU is proposing changes to the discipline process that will:

  1. make it harder for AUFA to defend members,

  2. increase the financial consequences of discipline to members, and

  3. lower the cost of discipline to AU.

In short, the employer wants to make it easier to discipline AUFA members.

grievances

AU has proposed the following changes to the grievance process:

1.    AU would decide whether AU had failed to prevent harassment.

2.    Grievances would be time-barred after 30 days.

The overall effect of these proposals is to make it harder for AUFA to enforce members’ rights under the collective agreement. More details on these proposals follow below.

appeals

AU is proposing the following changes to the appeal process:

  1. Professional staff would no longer be able to appeal the extension or termination of their probationary period (but termination could be grieved).

  2. An ad hoc, three-person panel would replace the Professional Appeal Committee.

  3. Professional members would have no input to the Professional Appeal Committee and the committee may contain no professional members.

  4. The university would select the majority of members on the Academic Appeal Committee.

  5. Appellants (professional and academic) would lose their right to have one of the panelists replaced. The AU-appointed chair would gain the power to replace any panelist.

  6. Non-voting representatives from HR and AUFA would be removed from the committees.

COMPANY DOCTORS

AU has proposed new powers that would allow AU to send you to a company doctor for a medical examination if:

1.    you use sick leave frequently or for a prolonged period,

2.    the university believes you are unable to do your duties do to illness or disability, or

3.    the university believes you are mis-using your sick leave.

This proposal is disrespectful of our integrity and our privacy. More details on these proposals follow below.