AUFA bargaining update
Athabasca University and AUFA met for the first full two days of bargaining on January 29th and 30th after the Alberta Labour Relations Board brought both parties together to agree that only “low-hanging fruit” would be discussed in advance of AU sharing its full monetary offer. AUFA agreed to this outcome as this addressed the concern of discussing major contract outcomes without knowing AU’s full offer. The first two days of bargaining were productive with the following articles discussed:
Article 1 – Definitions
Article 2 – Scope, Duration, Renewal, and Amending Procedures
Article 8 – Grievance
Article 10 – Discrimination and Harassment
Article 11 – Academic and Professional Freedom
Article 17 – Time Off
Article 22 – Resignation
Language relating to Deans in AUFA (Schedule C, Letters of Understanding)
Letter of Agreement – Support Person (proposed by AUFA)
Letter of Understanding – Artificial Intelligence (proposed by AUFA)
Most of the discussions involved each side presenting their proposed changes to the contract and answering questions about their language. It now leaves either party to accept, reject, or provide counter-offers. Fulsome discussions were also held on AUFA’s two proposed letters on Artificial Intelligence and Support Persons. Of note, Athabasca University has shown interest in AUFA’s proposal on support persons for AUFA members in difficult situations. Future blog posts will examine these topics.
Academic Freedom
The liveliest conversation at the bargaining table was over the competing visions for Academic Freedom. Academic Freedom is the language which currently protects AUFA academic members from employer retaliation or censorship over their academic work and expression. While AUFA’s proposal is intentionally broad and inclusive and seeks to expand this right to include professional members, AU’s proposal is to rewrite academic freedom to the below definition.
Academic Freedom for Academic Staff Members
Academic freedom is the freedom to teach and conduct research in an academic environment. Academic freedom is fundamental to the mandate of universities to pursue truth, educate students and disseminate knowledge and understanding. Academic freedom includes the right to freely communicate knowledge and the results of research and scholarship.
Academic freedom must be based on institutional integrity, rigorous standards for enquiry and institutional autonomy, which allows universities to set their research and educational priorities.
Evidence and truth are the guiding principles for universities and the community of scholars that make up their faculty and students. Thus, academic freedom must be based on reasoned discourse, rigorous extensive research and scholarship, and peer review.
Universities must also ensure that the rights and freedoms of others are respected, and that academic freedom is exercised in a reasonable and responsible manner.
AUFA’s academic freedom proposal keeps the current definition and expands it to include professionals, for the following reasons:
Professional staff members at Athabasca University are highly skilled individuals whose work is essential to the university’s teaching and research missions, the backbone of AU as a research and teaching institution. In AU’s unique environment, the highly skilled labour performed by Course Developers, Librarians, Archivists, Information Technology specialists, and other professional staff is fundamentally intertwined with the labour of academic faculty members. Therefore, both professionals and academics share similar concerns and challenges regarding their work, including those related to academic freedom. AUFA believes that expanding the protection of academic freedom to include professionals recognizes this situation. It will also guarantee that any AU faculty or staff currently engaged in the production and dissemination of academic knowledge, get the protection they deserve.
Another key reason to strengthen and expand the scope of academic freedom is the rise of authoritarianism and censorship both at the local and global levels. Recent censoring and disciplinary actions against scholars at some Canadian universities within the context of discussions about Palestine is evidence that academic freedom is under threat, as asserted by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).
There is a fundamental, philosophical difference between these academic freedom definitions and proposals. While AUFA’s definition treats it as a protection essential for scholarly and professional work that is authentic and transparent, AU views it as a privilege granted from an institution to a professor. AU’s definition implies a duty of loyalty to the university, which the academic may not criticize. Their language also removes academic freedom as a protection during academic service work, meaning that views expressed in bodies like General Faculties Council may not be afforded academic freedom protections.
It is important to note that AU’s concept of academic freedom is lifted almost verbatim from Universities Canada, a national organization of University Presidents. Their definition, written in 2011, has been resoundingly criticized by CAUT, AUFA’s national body.
There is little for AUFA members in AU’s proposed academic freedom language. If signed, it would greatly constrain academic freedom and give Athabasca University additional abilities to censor academic research and freedom of expression.
Monetary Offer
AU and AUFA will meet again on February 25th, which will likely conclude the discussions over the “low hanging fruit” portion of negotiations. After that point, AUFA expects AU to provide its full monetary offer. Although AU has not outright said they will, AU has hinted the monetary offer is forthcoming, although it is unclear if it will be at the next bargaining date after February.
How Can I Help?
AUFA will be hosting a series of town halls to discuss bargaining, work stoppage, and what these mean for you. We encourage all members to make the time to attend so that your voices can be heard by the bargaining team. Look for ways to volunteer and to get involved as bargaining continues.
In solidarity,
The AUFA Bargaining Team