Strike Planning Update: Committees start to spin up
AUFA’s Executive has directed the Job Action Committee (JAC) to be ready to strike no later than March 15. Whether or not we’ll see a work stoppage remains uncertain and is largely contingent on bargaining reaching impasse, AUFA and the employer completing a legislated mediation process, and the outcome of a member strike vote. This blog provides an update on strike planning.
Provisional Strike Structure
At its December meeting, AUFA’s Executive has developed a provisional structure (below) detailing AUFA’s work stoppage task allocation, reporting lines, and broader strategy. This structure assumes AUFA members’ approval of the strike pay and picketing recommendations at Wednesday’s townhall. The structure is also likely to evolve as work-stoppage preparation continues.
To meet the March 15 strike-readiness deadline, AUFA’s Executive authorized JAC to begin populating the committees that report to it. The first committee JAC has formed is the Materials Committee.
Materials Committee
The Materials Committee is responsible for generating strike materials to support flying and digital picketing, such as signs, online shareables, and leaflets. The committee will also be responsible for maintaining AUFA’s blog during the work stoppage. The committee presently comprises Eric Strikwerda (chair), Corina Dransutavicius, Ian Grivois, Jonathan Leggo, Mike Voaklander, Suzanne McCullagh, and Tamara Jackson. It held its first meeting last week.
Unions often run multi-strand social media campaigns during work stoppages, with different messages for different audiences at different times. Some messages will be critical, targeting the employer directly, and designed to attach a reputational cost to the employer’s behaviour. AUFA-generated memes in support of the Concordia University of Edmonton strike are an example of that approach. Other times, unions will run more positive messages aimed at sustaining member morale, for instance, or that will target different audiences (e.g., students, the public).
The Materials Committee is seeking AUFA member input (see questions below) about possible issues, themes, slogans, and multimedia ideas that, together, will bolster AUFA’s social media presence in the event of a work stoppage. We are especially interested in hearing your thoughts on different targeted audiences, as well as the intended effect of each idea. You can fill out the form below as many times as you like. As always, all submissions are anonymous. You can also email ideas and images to Eric Strikwerda (erics@athabascau.ca).
Eric Strikwerda, Chair
AUFA Materials Committee
JAC Volunteers Needed
JAC is seeking AUFA members willing to perform between 1 and 3 hours of online research between now and February 15. The research entails conducting online searches for contact information of between 10 and 15 AU donors and entering your findings into an online form.
This research will give JAC the option of contacting AU donors during a work stoppage to exert reputational and financial pressure on AU to settle. We have over 300 past donors identified and need some assistance to work through them all. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Bob Barnetson (barnetso@athabascau.ca).
Bob Barnetson, Chair
Job Action Committee