Membership Engagement Committee Established

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At its September retreat, the AUFA executive appointed an ad hoc Membership Engagement Committee (MEC). The purpose of this committee is to develop an understanding of AUFA members’ priorities and persistent workplace issues as well as to increase membership engagement.

The MEC comprises:

  • Rhiannon Rutherford (Chair)

  • Dave Powell

  • Travis Burwash

  • Bangaly Kaba

  • Bob Barnetson

The immediate task of the MEC is to assist the bargaining team to identify member priorities for the 2020 round of bargaining (which commences in March or April of 2020). The MEC will do this by contacting 100 randomly-selected AUFA members by telephone and surveying them.

The survey will begin in mid-November and will include general environmental questions as well as bargaining-related questions. The results of the environmental questions will be released to the membership. Aggregated and anonymized results from the bargaining questions will be provided to the bargaining team.

This approach is designed to better align AUFA’s opening offer with the interests of the membership. In the last round of bargaining, AUFA was able to muster a strike threat to thwart employer demands for rollbacks. But AUFA has lacked a credible strike threat with which to make significant gains at the bargaining table. A member-driven opening proposal should assist AUFA in being well positioned to secure gains at the bargaining table.

As the opening proposal is developed, additional one-on-one phone calls and surveys as well as membership meetings will be held in consultation with the bargaining team. The executive appreciates the willingness of these AUFA members to serve on this committee.

Jolene Armstrong

President

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