Yesterday AUFA held a ratification vote on the mediator’s recommendation coming out of the last several bargaining days. 77% of members voted to reject the mediator’s recommendation, with 91% of AUFA members voting. This sends a powerful message to both bargaining teams that AUFA members want a better deal. The employer team now knows they cannot present deals like this one and hope for ratification.
Notably, there was extensive collegial discussion between AUFA members over the politics of the vote and reasons behind a yes or no. This remarkably high level of engagement also sends a strong signal that members are making informed and thoughtful decisions. The AUFA Executive met to discuss next steps, which are as follows.
Continuing Bargaining
The rejection of the mediator’s report puts both bargaining teams back to original proposals. As such there is currently no current offer from the employer to review. It is imperative that both teams get back to the table soon to negotiate a fair deal for AUFA members. AUFA’s bargaining team is ready to meet and is hopeful that the AU team will not revert back to the significant delays that characterized the first 11 months of bargaining. AUFA members have been without a contract for 638 days, and we are all anxious for an end to this upheaval.
Strike Vote
AUFA had originally scheduled a strike vote for March 29, but we rescheduled this to allow for the ratification vote to proceed. With the report rejected, AUFA’s strike vote is now scheduled to take place next Monday, April 4th. In the AUFA Executive’s recommendation letter, it was noted that we would likely go ahead with a strike vote should the deal be rejected. This is the action we are taking, with a significant caveat outlined at the end of this post. Members are likely wondering why we would go ahead with the strike vote if our goal remains to find a deal at the table.
There are a few reasons:
As many members identified in the email discussion around the ratification vote, strong strike votes offer significant additional leverage for the AUFA bargaining team. A solid strike mandate means that not only are members unsatisfied with the mediator’s proposed settlement, but they are also willing to back this up with a strike if necessary.
While it may seem like an aggressive move, a strike vote at this point is actually still very defensive. Because of the different timelines involved for strike and lockout votes, there is a very real risk that the employer could lock us out before we are able to organize a new strike vote. If we are locked out but not in a position to strike in response, the employer might be able to impose much worse terms than the settlement members recently rejected. Having a strike mandate in hand would set us up to respond much more effectively if the employer took this type of action. (We hope they won’t, but it’s always better to be prepared!)
A labour board supervised strike vote is a requirement for a legal strike, but the mandate lasts for four months. That is, a strike is not inevitable after a strong strike vote. Paradoxically, it can often mean that it’s less likely because the employer might be convinced to move to a better deal for AUFA members if it is facing a much more real risk of a work stoppage.
If the employer does not lock us out and meaningful bargaining does resume, the AUFA executive has committed to polling the members again if we think that it is necessary to move toward calling a strike. This is above the minimum requirement by the labour board but it’s an important step to take in recognition that things can change very quickly. We will want to follow the membership’s lead!
However, if AU is willing to return to the bargaining table soon and provide assurances against a lockout in the near future, the AUFA executive is willing to further postpone the strike vote. This offer will be communicated to the AU bargaining team.
If AU agrees to these terms and the bargaining teams can reach a fair deal, another settlement recommendation will be brought to the members for ratification. If the employer continues to maintain a bottom line that is unacceptable, AUFA will seek a strike vote. If, however, AU does not agree to both more bargaining dates and assurances against a lockout, the planned strike vote on April 4th will proceed.
Engagement and Preparations
As we have communicated previously, the possibility of a strike or lockout remains quite real. Because this would be our first work stoppage and possibly the first virtual strike ever, it’s important that we continue logistics preparations for a potential strike. Again, this is not because a strike is inevitable or desired; it’s simply out of prudence to be as prepared as possible.
So, later today an election will be circulated to populate two elected strike committees that would assist with financial aspects. While these committees would only be active during a strike, establishing these in advance will allow them to function more effectively in support of members.
The Membership Engagement Committee will be exploring additional ways to build on the extremely high levels of engagement witnessed over the past few days. In the meantime, we are still seeking volunteer callers to help reach out to members one on one to check in and understand more fully where folks are at. Contact Rhiannon Rutherford if you would like to volunteer or learn more about these calls.
On behalf of the AUFA Executive, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to all AUFA members who participated in this vote and the discussions surrounding it. We are committed to making this process as democratic and participatory as possible. This is a difficult time, but I’m confident that we can come out of this stronger and ready to refocus on making this university the excellent and respectful place it should be.
In solidarity,
David Powell
AUFA President