Bargaining negotiations with Athabasca University have officially started.

The first meeting was held virtually on May 25, 2024. During the meeting, both parties’ bargaining committee members met and briefly discussed scheduling options for the exchange of proposals and the format in which those meetings would be conducted. Drawing upon first-hand knowledge and lived experience, AUFA’s Bargaining Lead communicated to the AU bargaining team about the challenges, priorities, demands, and expectations that AUFA members have for this round of negotiations. We also affirmed our commitment to engaging in constructive dialogue to ensure those demands are met.

In December, the AUFA bargaining team provided a high-level overview of its bargaining preparation process. This blog provides an update on the status of preparations as well as the forecasts the next steps.

The results of the November/December AUFA member survey suggest some clear priorities for AUFA members as we head into bargaining in mid-2024.

The full results have been shared with the appropriate AUFA committees for further analysis and to inform their priorities and plans. Additional future surveys will seek to further support the development of an opening proposal that is reflective of members’ priorities. This blog post offers a high-level overview of the most common themes that emerged from members’ responses.

Bargaining will begin again soon, the collective agreement between AUFA and the Board of Governors expires on June 30, 2024 and will remain in place until a new agreement is reached. As we begin this new cycle of bargaining with AU, membership perspective is key. This post describes the process and timeline for bargaining and how members are involved.