Yesterday, AUFA members voted to authorize a strike and AU voted to authorize a lockout. This means either party can provide 72 hours of notice that they will be triggering a work stoppage.
At present, AU has not served lockout notice on AUFA. AUFA’s executive has been clear that AUFA will not service notice of a strike without a further vote of the members (unless AU serves lockout notice). AUFA’s hope is that bargaining towards a new agreement will resume this week.
In the meantime, the Job Action Committee (JAC) is finalizing plans should a strike be necessary. This post is a high-level overview of a strike. Posts tomorrow and Thursday will address in-person and digital picketing respectively.
What a strike would look like
A strike entails most AUFA members withdrawing their labour (as approved by the membership in January) and receiving strike pay in lieu of their regular salary. The purpose of withdrawing our labour is to disrupt AU’s operations and thus apply pressure on AU to agree to a fair deal.
AUFA members will also be engaging in flying (i.e., in-person) picketing and digital picketing to attach reputational costs to AU’s intransigence at the table. This is designed to amplify the operational pressure on AU to settle. AU may choose to respond to a strike by locking out AUFA members.
During any strike and/or lockout, AUFA’s bargaining team will continue to negotiate because, ultimately, a strike is about getting a new deal with which AUFA members can live. Often, however, it can take some time for the pressure on the employer to become high enough that they will agree to a fair deal. PSE strikes are on average 3.5 weeks in length and typically last no more than 6 weeks. How long AU might hold out is unknown.
Who will withdraw what labour?
During a strike, the expectation is that all AUFA members will withdraw their labour except:
those on maternity and/or parental leave
those on workers’ compensation
those on long-term disability
those on research and study leave
those who receive an exemption (adjudicated by a committee)
Members who are not required to strike should see their AU income continue (because they are not on strike). All other members will receive strike/lockout pay (see below). If AU locks out AUFA members, AUFA members who are exempt from striking (the list above) and whose income is affected will receive strike/lockout pay.
The labour to be withdrawn by striking AUFA members is:
professors and academic coordinator will stop teaching, coordinating their courses, and performing university service work, and
professionals will stop performing their professional duties and university service work.
AUFA has no expectation that striking members will stop doing research, undertaking professional development, or stop their external service activities (i.e., you may perform these tasks without salary if you like).
AU has indicated it will create impediments to doing so by limiting access to AU IT systems and research and PD funds that it administers. This may mean you will lose access to your AU computer, email, phone, and systems (and any materials stored on them). Please see this post about professional preparations to make prior to a strike.
What strike/lockout pay will I receive?
All members who (1) withdraw their labour, (2) perform 10 hours of strike duties each week, and (3) provide AUFA with the necessary banking information, will receive strike/lockout pay.
Strike/lockout pay begins on the fourth day of a strike and/or lockout and is $88 per day tax free (i.e., there are no deductions). Payment will be biweekly. AUFA will try to match AU’s current payment schedule.
All members will continue to have access to their regular health, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. Pension contributions will be suspended during a strike or lockout.
AUFA has also set up a Member Emergency Fund. More details about the fund will be available shortly. Please see this post about financially preparing for a strike.
If you have a mortgage, you may wish to approach your bank about delaying or deferring your payments. The key points to make are:
I am employed by Athabasca University.
There is a high risk of a strike and/or lockout.
I expect this work stoppage will cause financial stress.
I am concerned about maintaining my mortgage payment during this time.
I would like to discuss whether and how I might have some flexibility in my payments should a work stoppage take place.
What strike duties can I perform?
The Job Action Committee (JAC) has arranged flying (in-person) picketing in Athabasca, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto as well as digital picketing opportunities (that require no physical presence). JAC will provide more details about AUFA’s flying and digital picketing plans over the next two days.
The Membership Engagement Committee (MEC) has organized a caller group (who will call all AUFA members each week). If you would like to volunteer with this group as part of your strike duties, please contact engagement@aufa.ca. There will also be meetings and other virtual events, such as teach-ins and workshops to attend. MEC may also have other volunteer work available on an ad hoc basis.
Members who are not required to withdraw their labour (i.e., on maternity/parental leave, workers’ compensation, disability, RSL, or who receive an exemption) would not be required to perform strike duties.
AUFA members who become sick during the strike or experience other life events that interfere with strike duties can receive an exemption from a committee. More details on receiving an exemption will be available shortly.
How should I handle student queries?
Students are bound to have questions about the impact of a strike. Most of their questions can, however, only be answered by AU because they are about decisions that only AIU can make.
AUFA remains in contact with both the undergraduate and graduate student associations, AUFA has prepared a strike FAQ for students. AUFA has also posted a list of talking points should students approach you directly with questions.
If you have questions about striking, strike pay, or strike duties, please direct them to me at barnetso@athabascau.ca . Additional information about in-person and digital picketing will be provided tomorrow and Friday respectively.
Bob Barnetson, Chair
Job Action Committee