Designation policy passes: Pickets and boycotts begin

This post provides an update on designation-related matters, including this morning’s picket, AUFA’s visiting student boycott, and AUFA’s plans going forward.

Designation Policy

Last week, Athabasca University Board of Governors passed the new Designation as Academic Policy. This policy gives AU a way to carve out approximately two-thirds AUFA’s members from the bargaining unit. AU has committed to consulting with AUFA prior to any de-designation. Given our experience with the development of this policy, we expect these consultations will be meaningless formalities, but we remain open and hopeful.

To date, AU has not indicated which group (professionals, academic coordinators, deans or managers) that they will seek to de-designate first or any timeline for de-designation. The AUFA executive is prepared to challenge all de-designations at the Labour Relations Board. Our lawyer’s advice is to hold all challenges until AU makes a move.

Picketing Convocation Taping

In the meantime, the Membership Engagement Committee (MEC) has been charged with maintaining pressure on AU. This morning President Neil Fassina and the executive were met by a picket line outside the Winspear Theatre. Fassina and company were on their way in to pre-record portions of the 2020 convocation. Additional picketing of events attended by Fassina as well as AU Board members will continue indefinitely.

MEC members also contacted all AUFA members who had RSVPed to attend the platform party taping to appear as silent floating heads. These members were asked to not attend as a way of showing support for their colleagues who are under threat of de-designation. This action was chosen because not participating in the taping has no material impact on students’ education. Faculty are, of course, free to attend the convocation itself in October.

Visiting Student Boycott Pledge

The faculty associations at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria have signed onto AUFA’s visiting student boycott. The associations join the associations at Universities of Alberta, Lethbridge, Saskatchewan, and Western, who have already pledged support.

The boycott pledge essentially commits these associations to direct their members to not send any visiting students to AU if AU de-designates any AUFA members. Western has gone further and indicated its faculty will be asked not to approve transfer credit from AU.

AU is significantly reliant upon visiting student tuition and this pledge attaches a financial cost to de-designation. AUFA’s executive is presently seeking pledges from faculty associations at the remaining top-10 sending institutions before turning its attention to securing pledges from other universities and colleges.

Meetings with Affected Groups

The MEC will be organizing meetings with groups of AUFA members who are under clear threat of de-designation. These meetings will be scheduled in October and will include a brief presentation about the impact of de-designation, suggestions for direct action, and a Q&A session.

Dave Powell, President