Bargaining between AUFA and AU has stretched on for almost two years. This post provides a high-level comparison of where each side stands as of January 31, 2022 on major issues (minor language changes have been excluded).
Overall, AUFA is asking for wage increases linked to inflation and better language. AU is seeking a wage freeze and significant language rollbacks that disproportionately target professional AUFA members (although some language rollbacks affect everyone).
Provincially, the public-sector settlement pattern is modest wage increases and better language.
You can view AUFA’s opening proposal here, and AU’s opening proposals here and here. We will be posting this table on AUFA’s strike website and post periodic updates as bargaining continues.
Jason Foster, Chair
AUFA Bargaining Committee
Substantive Proposals as of February 4, 2022
(minor language changes excluded).
|
Article/Schedule |
AUFA Current |
AU Current |
Notes |
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Schedule A1&2 Wages |
Increases to salaries and grids: July 1, 2020: 2.0% COLA July 1, 2021: 4.0% COLA July 1, 2022: TBD based on Alberta Consumer Price Index July 1, 2023: TBD based on Alberta Consumer Price Index |
July 1, 2020: 0% COLA July 1, 2021: 0% COLA July 1, 2022: 0% COLA July 1, 2022: 0% COLA |
Alberta Inflation was 0.8% in 2020 and 4.8% in 2021. |
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Schedule B Benefits |
Benefit plan will be fully paid by AU. |
No proposal |
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Schedule B Vacation |
Four new vacation days that float around July 1 or National Indigenous People’s Day. |
No proposal |
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All |
Replace gendered language with non-gender language
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Agreed. |
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1 Definitions
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New language limiting the ability to AU to de-designate AUFA members. |
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3 Academics |
Create meaningful appeal process for academic workload disputes.
Add recognition of indigenous elders/knowledge in promotion/tenure process |
Replace existing decision processes for probation, promotion, increment, and research and study leave; combining tenure and promotion for assistant professor; awarding tenure for new full professors. |
AU has not proposed firm language on this article. |
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4 Professionals |
Create meaningful appeal process for professional workload disputes.
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Reduce professional probation to 1 year; eliminate current probationary review process; allow immediate termination during probation at employer’s discretion; service work only at employer’s discretion; eliminate right to request position evaluation; eliminate rules around promotion of professionals. |
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5 Term appointments |
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Extend maximum duration of term appoints to new program from 3 to 5 years; eliminate requirement to automatically convert term appointments to regular appointments after 5 years; reduce length of early termination notice; eliminate accrual of professional development, research and study leave entitlements. |
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6 Salaries |
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Only academic staff may appeal increment denials. |
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7 Discipline |
Limiting AU’s ability to use external investigators. Allowing AUFA members to refuse to cross other union’s picket lines. |
Allow unpaid suspension or termination to take effect before appeal process is concluded; eliminate appeal process (shifting costs onto union to grieve discipline), |
Further analysis: https://aufa.ca/blog/2021/4/12/bargaining-analysis-2-aus-discipline-proposals |
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8 Grievance |
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Imposing 30-day time limit to file a grievance. Changes to grievance process. |
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9 Appeals |
Include academic and professional workloads in appeal process |
Professionals excluded from appeal process; employer chooses majority of members of appeal committee; chair can remove committee members for bias. |
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10 Harassment |
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AU wishes to apply its harassment policy to AUFA members.
Updating list of protected grounds. |
AU’s current harassment policy was implemented contrary to the collective agreement and therefore currently is inapplicable. |
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11 Academic freedom |
Strengthening professional freedom protections |
Narrowing academic freedom; eliminating professional freedom. |
Further analysis: https://aufa.ca/blog/2021/4/26/bargaining-analysis-3-academic-and-professional-freedom |
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12 Layoffs |
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Reduces layoff notice for academics, removing professionals from this article (creating new articles addressing professionals, see below) |
Further analysis: https://aufa.ca/blog/2021/4/6/bargaining-analysis-1-aus-layoff-proposals |
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15 Research and Study Leave |
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Eliminate RSL to professionals; reduce RSL for academics. |
Further analysis: https://aufa.ca/blog/2022/1/28/au-wants-to-grind-aufa-members-research-and-study-leaves |
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16 Sick leave |
Specifying when a medical note is required and ensuring AUFA is included in sick-leave, accommodation, and return-to-work discussions. |
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The parties agreed to gender neutral language for maternity and parental leave |
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16 Compassionate care leave |
Extend leave to 28 weeks and allow for serious illness without risk of death. |
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17 Union leave |
Additional work release (100%) for union president and (50%) for bargaining chair. |
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AU has stopped allowing AUFA to buy out additional leave; this is the subject of a grievance. |
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19 Telework |
$2500 start-up grant and $150/mo stipend for working from home. |
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20 External Professional Activity |
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Narrows permissible external professional activity. |
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21 Privacy |
Limiting employer’s ability to surveil AUFA members on the job. |
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22 Resignation |
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Extends resignation notice from 21 working days to 3 months. |
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25 Health & Safety |
Codifying basic OHS rights. |
Providing rights as per OHS Act and Code. |
Government has rolled back legislative OHS rights; AUFA’s proposal codifies prior rights in collective agreement. The employer offer would subject members to lesser protections under current Act. |
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26 Equity |
New language codifying obligation to address TRC calls to action, address equity in hiring, workloads and promotion, and complete periodic pay equity analyses. |
Disbanding Employment Equity Committee; committing to release an employer-created EDI framework by April 2023. |
Further analysis: https://aufa.ca/blog/2021/5/3/bargaining-analysis-4-aufas-pay-equity-proposal |
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27 Causal appointments |
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Eliminate |
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LOA Contracting out |
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Eliminate |
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LOA on disability accommodation |
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Eliminate |
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LOA on deans |
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Eliminate |
AU is separately seeking to de-designate deans from AUFA. |
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LOA on Intellectual property |
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Eliminate |
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LOA on Spousal Hiring |
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Eliminate |
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LOA on Overload |
Establishing consistent pay for overload |
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NEW - Designation |
Require a consultation process for designation changes and requiring AUFA consent |
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NEW – Layoff of Professionals |
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New layoff provisions for professionals, reducing notice period |
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NEW – Temporary Layoff of Professionals |
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New provisions allowing for temporary layoffs of professionals |
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