AUFA in Solidarity with MUNFA and CBUFA Job Action

Monday, January 30th, the faculty association of Memorial University of Newfoundland (approx.. 850 members) joined Cape Breton University faculty association (approx.. 230 members) and went on strike. Like Alberta, their region has suffered targeted cuts to the sector in recent years. AUFA offers our solidarity with their job action. We recognize that when faculty members at one university have the courage to strike, they are fighting on behalf of us all. 

Both universities face similar issues to AUFA: phasing out of tenure-track faculty for increased reliance on contract and lower wage positions and the erosion of collegial governance. AUFA is watching one (of many) especially worrisome bargaining issue that MUNFA is facing: the introduction of a two-tier payment scheme for post-retirement health benefits.  

We also stand with MUNFA in its insistence that faculty have an equal voice in decisions that affect the university community as a whole. The erosion of collegial governance affects us all, and safeguarding bicameral governance works to ensure an equitable distribution of power. 

The administration’s current offer to MUNFA includes a 12% salary increase over four years, and other added benefits. MUNFA’s president, Ash Hossain told the CBC, “We are fighting for principles. It's not about money.” We wish to applaud MUNFA for its commitment to principles and to the welfare of others. MUNFA’s commitment to standing on principle, beyond material gain, to continue fighting for those who still do not have fair working conditions in their union is the backbone of equity. We are grateful that MUNFA recognizes and upholds principles of relationality and mutual support. 

Memorial has a form letter that students and supporters can send to demand a fair and equitable deal. You can sign it here, or post in support on social media with the hashtag #FairDealAtMUN and tag the association @MUNFaculty. 

Striking and Strike Pay Consultation

As AUFA readies itself for a possible work stoppage, the Job Action Committee (JAC) has begun detailed planning. An important set of foundational decisions AUFA must make are:

• Who will be required to actively participate in a strike?

• What labour will be withdrawn and what labour will be permitted to continue?

• How will AUFA allocate strike pay?

• How will we resolve disputes about these issues during a work stoppage?

In November, JAC made a series of recommendations to the Executive, including consulting members on these questions and ensuring any final decisions are ratified by the membership.

This blog post provides some recommended answers to these questions and seeks feedback from the membership by December 15. AUFA’s Executive will provide a revised set of recommendations (based on the feedback) to the membership in January in advance of a townhall and membership vote.

Background and Recommendations

To: AUFA Executive

From: Job Action Committee

Re: AUFA Strike and Picketing Framework

Overview

As we move closer to a possible work stoppage, AUFA needs to make some decisions about who will strike, what labour will be withdrawn, and how we will allocate strike pay.

The Job Action Committee (JAC) recommends AUFA’s Executive present the following recommendations to the membership for feedback, voting, and eventual ratification:

1. All members be asked to withdraw their labour (i.e., strike) excepting those on parental leave, long-term disability, and those who receive an exemption (see Recommendation 5 below).

2. During a strike, academic members be directed to stop teaching, coordinating their courses, and performing university service work.

3. During a strike, professional members be directed to not engage in their professional duties and to stop their university service work.

4. Strike pay be issued to members complying with (1), (2) and (3) above as well as performing strike duties as requested. The strike duty requirement will be waived for members on short-term sick leave or members whose RSL precludes participation, and those who receive an exemption (see Recommendation 5 below).

5. AUFA set up a committee to adjudicate disputes and requests for exemptions balancing the need for solidarity with equity-based needs.

Background

A work stoppage can entail a strike, a lockout, or both simultaneously. During a lockout or a strike-lockout, the employer will prevent all AUFA members from performing work and receiving pay. Members on long-term disability will continue to be paid by the insurer and members on parental leave will continue to receive EI benefits.

During a strike (without an accompanying lockout), it will be up to AUFA’s Executive to decide:

1. which members will withdraw their labour (thus foregoing their paycheque) in order to apply operational pressure to AU to settle, and

2. what labour is to be withdrawn.

During any work stoppage (i.e., strike and/or lockout), it will also be up to AUFA’s Executive to decide what member strike duties (e.g., picketing, digital picketing, letter writing, AUFA service work) will occur to apply pressure to AU to settle. At this point, JAC expects strike duties to amount to about 2 hours of work per day per member, but that must remain as yet undetermined and may vary depending on the circumstances.

Who Should Strike?

The most effective strike is one where all AUFA members withdraw their labour. This maximizes the operational disruption and pressure on the employer to settle. It also prevents free riding (i.e., receiving the benefits won by a strike without participating in the strike), which can be corrosive to member solidarity.

JAC’s recommendation is that all AUFA members be directed to strike (i.e., withdraw their labour) except members on:

• Long-term disability: Long-term disability benefits will continue during the strike. Members on long-term disability should be excused from withdrawing their labour (they are already off work) and from strike duties for as long as they remain on long-term disability. Members off on workers’ compensation would be treated similarly.

• Parental Leave: Employment Insurance benefits will continue during the strike. Members on parental leave should be excused from withdrawing their labour (they are already off work) for as long as they remain on parental leave.

JAC recommends the Executive strike a committee (see below) to make decisions about any other exceptions that may emerge.

Members who are not required to strike would continue to receive pay via LTD or EI and would not be required to participate in strike activities.

What Labour to Withdraw?

Not all work is equally important to frustrating AU’s operations. AUFA members may also be reluctant to stop performing certain kinds of work. The work that is most important to the employer’s operations appears to be:

• Academics: teaching, course coordination, and university service work.

• Professionals: professional job duties and university service work.

The employer would be largely unaffected by the withdrawal of research, external service activities, and professional development work. Consequently, JAC recommends during any strike:

1. Academic members be directed to stop teaching, course coordination, and university service work.

2. Professional members be directed to stop their professional duties and university service work.

Members who wish to continue with external service, research, or professional development during a strike may do so at their discretion and without pay.

Strike Pay Eligibility

Strike pay amounts to $88 per calendar day (with no deductions) starting on the fourth day of the work stoppage. It is up to AUFA to set the criteria for members to qualify for strike pay. JAC recommends three criteria for eligibility:

1. Direct deposit and contact information: The most sensible way to distribute strike pay is through direct deposit. In order to assign strike duties, AUFA will need a way to contact members. Consequently, to be eligible for strike pay, members will need to provide direct deposit and non-AU contact information to AUFA.

2. Withdrawing labour: To be eligible for strike pay, members need to withdraw their labour consistent with the recommendation above.

3. Performing strike duties: In addition to withdrawing their labour, members will need to be available to perform strike duties. JAC is cognizant of the need to recognize the complex and distributed nature of the AUFA membership when organizing strike duties.

What strike duties will members be expected to perform?

Members who are on strike will be expected to perform approximately 2 hours of strike duties per day in order to qualify for strike pay. The expectation of performing strike duties would be waived for members on:

• Short-term illness: Members on short-term illness leave when a strike commences should be expected to withdraw their labour (in solidarity with their colleagues) but would not be required to perform strike duties if and as their illness requires it. Members who become ill during a strike should be excused from strike duties if and as their illness requires.

• Research and Study Leave: Members on RSL (i.e., sabbatical) when a strike commences should be expected to withdraw their labour (in solidarity with their colleagues). If a member’s RSL activities make performing strike duties impractical (e.g., are attending a full-time graduate program, are out of the country), the requirement to perform strike duties to receive strike pay will be waived.

There will inevitably be questions about the application of these rules as well as unforeseen issues (e.g., family illness, childcare) that will arise. JAC recommends the Executive strike a committee (see below) to make decisions about any exemptions that emerge.

The following table outlines some of the strike duties available to AUFA members. JAC will present a more detailed strike plan to the AUFA Executive in the new year. These duties account for the complexity and geographical dispersal of AUFA’s membership.

Daily
Picketing	AUFA will host four physical pickets per week, rotating between Athabasca, Edmonton (x2), and Calgary. Picketing might include picketing, door knocking, and leafleting.
Digital Picketing	AUFA will produce daily shareables (e.g., graphics, testimonials with an action ask) that members can push out on social media as well as reshare others. Members can also comment on media reports.
Outreach	AUFA will produce talking points members can use to phone or email selected targets (e.g., AU’s president, Board members, MLAs and others).
Committee Duties	Some AUFA members will have daily or periodic committee duties. These include a large group of callers who will maintain weekly telephone contact with every AUFA member.
Attend Meetings	AUFA will need to periodically meet with its members to inform them of progress, seek feedback, maintain morale, and educate them on specific topics. Attendance at meetings will constitute strike activity.
Periodic
Education	Some AUFA members have expressed an interest in developing short online education sessions targeting the public (specifically students).
Creative	Some AUFA members have expressed interest in creative activity (e.g., strike-related artwork, poetry, and songs).

Tentatively, JAC is considering having members self-report their strike activity to drive strike pay eligibility. Members would be expected to produce records of their activity upon request.

Strike Pay Eligibility Committee

To address questions about strike-pay eligibility and strike duty questions, JAC recommends the Executive form a Strike Pay Eligibility Committee. This committee would be:

• formed when AUFA enters formal mediation with the employer and would operate until the end of any work stoppage,

• organized and chaired by the Vice-President and comprise six additional AUFA members selected by the Executive,

• empowered to hear applications for exemptions from the general rules, set governing strike pay, participation, and strike duties, make binding decisions about such applications, and any other matters delegated to them by the Executive, and

• guided by the principles of solidarity and equity, wherein all members should bear as equal a share of the cost of a work stoppage as is reasonably practicable for them to bear.

Member Feedback and Ratification

AUFA’s bylaws empower the Executive to make decisions required to operate the association in between member meetings. This gives the Executive the power to make decisions based on the recommendations above.

Consistent with our efforts to be transparent with and driven by the membership, JAC recommends the Executive:

1. Provide this memo to AUFA members in December for feedback.

2. Host a townhall in January to address questions and explain any updates (based on the feedback).

3. Hold an online ratification vote of the final recommendations.

Your Turn

The Executive and JAC would like to hear member views on the recommendations set out above by December 15. AUFA will use this feedback to amend the recommendations before presenting them to the membership for a ratification vote in January.

In solidarity,

Dave Powell, President

Bob Barnetson, Chair

Job Action Committee

Member Input Wanted: Strike Tactics

AUFA’s Job Action Committee (JAC) exists to assist the bargaining team to negotiate a reasonable settlement by applying pressure on AU. This means using tactics (e.g., public embarrassment) to get the employer to move towards settlement during bargaining. And, if bargaining reaches impasse, JAC is tasked with planning and executing a strike.

Since AU has refused to even table a full offer at this point, JAC has begun detailed planning in the event that the AUFA membership authorizes a strike. A strike applies pressure on the employer in three main ways:

• Operationally: When AUFA members withdraw their labour, AU processes that rely upon AUFA members’ work will slow or stop.

• Financially: A strike (or its prospect) disincentivizes students to enrol in courses, thereby reducing institutional revenue.

• Reputationally: Strike-related communications (before or during a strike) can do long-term damage to AU’s reputation as a good place to work or go to school.

JAC is seeking member input about tactics AUFA members can employ to apply pressure to AU (either before or during a strike) to negotiate a fair settlement. We’re doing this to tap into the creativity of the membership as well as to get a sense of what members would be prepared to do beyond simply withdrawing their labour.

JAC does have a preliminary list of ways in which AUFA members can exert pressure on the employer. We have decided not to provide examples from this list so as to not influence AUFA members’ responses. JAC will report back to the membership with a summary of the suggestions we receive.

Please take a moment to fill out the form below with your suggestions. If you’d rather discuss this matter in person, you can contact Bob Barnetson (barnetso@athabascau.ca) to arrange a time to talk.

Bob Barnetson, Chair

AUFA Job Action Committee

Professional and Practical Strike or Lockout Preparation

Last week, AUFA provided some basic information about making financial preparation for a strike or lockout. This week, we’ll be discussing how to prepare practically and professionally.

Any job action is preceded by the long series of steps outlined two weeks ago in our strike primer. Once either party is in position to trigger a work stoppage, you will still have 72 hours of notice of any strike or lockout.

Access to AU Systems

Typically, union members have no access to workplace technology during a work stoppage. It would be wise to prepare for the possibility that AU will disable access to our email, files, and computers.

Preparations might include moving any personal or research files to a data stick or non-AU computer, recording important contact information and calendar events, creating and sharing a non-AU email address with colleagues, and ensuring you have access to a non-AU phone.

AUFA has been collecting non-AU contact information from members. If you have not yet provided this information (or if it has changed), please send your information to aufahq@aufa.ca. During any work stoppage, AUFA will use this information to deploy a new member communication platform.

Physical Access to AU

Employers typically restrict workers’ access to the workplace during a work stoppage. When notice of a strike or lockout is issued, staff who normally work on campus may wish to remove their personal property from AU’s buildings.

Grants and Research Projects

AUFA recognizes that some members have time-sensitive obligations related to their grants and research work. AUFA will not interfere with the timely completion of such tasks. It is not clear whether AU will be similarly accommodating.

Consequently, it is worthwhile identifying upcoming deadlines and planning ahead for how you will meet them. This includes ensuring that research colleagues and granting agencies have a way of contacting you if AU suspends access to AU IT.

Notifying Colleagues

Many of us work with colleagues in other organizations. As a work stoppage approaches, it may be necessary to alert them of the work stoppage and that it may impact our ability to respond promptly or meet previous commitments.

Prior to a work stoppage becoming imminent, it may be useful to identify people you work with outside of AU who may be affected by your absence and/or inability to access your AU IT. When a work stoppage appears imminent, send them an email outlining that a work stoppage is looming and outline how this may affect them.

You may also wish to ask your colleagues to refrain from dealing with AU until the work stoppage is ended. Academics, for example, may wish to ask academics at other institutions to refuse to approve transfer credit from AU and stop suggesting students come to AU as visiting students until the work stoppage is concluded.

Discussing a Work Stoppage with Students

Students will be negatively affected by a work stoppage. Some will see delays in teaching and marking. Others will see delays in administrative processes. AUFA will be communicating with AUSU and AUGSA about the timing and impact of a work stoppage, but you may also receive queries directly for students.

Here are some basic talking points that may be helpful in these conversations with students.

• Faculty are seeking a reasonable cost of living increase to their wages after years of salary stagnation. AU has run operating surpluses almost every year for nearly a decade.

• Faculty are also seeking to maintain long-standing rights (e.g., professional freedom) and make improvements in the workplace (e.g., addressing historical inequities and unsafe workplaces).

• AU has not shown any receptivity to these legitimate requests. Indeed, the employer has not even seen fit to table a full offer of its own. This makes it impossible for faculty to bargain a new deal with AU.

• The impact of a work stoppage on AU students is unfortunate. Nevertheless, AUFA members must look after their own interests and those of their families. Students who are frustrated can contact the AUSU (ausu@ausu.org) or AUGSA (president@augsa.com) or AU President Peter Scott (pscott@athabascau.ca) to express their concerns.

• Students who have specific questions about how AU will operate during a work stoppage should consult the AU website or contact AU President Peter Scott (pscott@athabascau.ca).

The Job Action Committee hopes this brief overview will help you to begin practically and professionally planning for a possible work stoppage. We will continue to provide you more information about work stoppages as needs arise. Please direct any questions to Bob Barnetson (barnetso@athabascau.ca).

Bob Barnetson, Chair

AUFA Job Action Committee

Please update your work stoppage contact info

As mentioned last month, AUFA’s Job Action Committee (JAC) has begun preparations in case bargaining leads to a strike or a lockout. During a strike or a lockout, it is likely that AUFA will lose access to AU’s IT systems. This would hamper AUFA’s ability to communicate with you, hold meetings, and conduct votes.

In order to contact you during a work stoppage, AUFA requires a non-AU email and telephone number. In 2019, JAC collected this data for >90% of AUFA members. In preparation for the upcoming round of bargaining, JAC needs to: 

• Collect this information for new members, and

• Update this information for long-term members if it has changed. 

Your non-AU phone and email will be held in a password-protected database in the AUFA office. Access is restricted to AUFA staff and the executive. Home phone numbers and email addresses will only be used to contact members in the event of a work stoppage.

If you are new to AUFA or if your non-AU contact information has changed, please fill out the form below by June 15.

Bob Barnetson, Chair

AUFA Job Action Committee