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. 

Spring survey results: Continued distrust in AU executive and strong strike threat

In June, volunteers with AUFA’s Membership Engagement Committee (MEC) completed the sixth membership engagement survey. This survey included the usual climate questions as well as explored issues related to the recently concluded round of bargaining, the jobs in Athabasca issue (which has since become a significant issue), and AU’s implementation of Netskope surveillance software on members’ computers. 

This iteration of the survey was delayed from the targeted April/May timing, which likely impacted response rates. Eighty-two randomly selected members (just under 20% of the membership) completed the call-based survey, with representation across departments and employee types. 

Climate Questions 

Survey callers asked four recurring questions on the general climate at AU. Overall, members report continued distrust in the AU executive, while AUFA’s work is broadly supported. There is an interesting discrepancy between the 39% of members who reported high morale compared to 77% who reported enjoying starting work in the morning. This likely reflects members’ appreciation for the work they do while also reflecting their frustration with their working conditions. 

Looking further at the question of trust in AU’s executive team, there was a slight increase since the last survey (in fall 2021), from 15% to 20% expressing trust, which is still far below the highest rate of 30% who agreed with this question in the very first survey (in fall 2019). There were no clear trends in terms of which member groups are more or less likely to agree or disagree. For example, when analyzing responses based on length of service, new hires reported around the same level of distrust in executive and trust in AUFA as longer-serving staff. 

In the comments provided by members regarding AU’s executive, most expressed strongly negative feelings, with the following emerging as themes: 

• feelings of being mistreated, belittled, or disrespected by the employer  

• dissatisfaction with the communication and information provided to faculty and staff 

• perceptions of mismanagement, ineptitude, or hidden agendas 

• perceptions of a lack of understanding of the university’s culture and values 

• desire for following through with a vote of non-confidence in the current executive 

In terms of factors contributing to these feelings, the employer’s opening position in bargaining featured prominently. Members also spoke about how the various reorganizations at AU—including the IT reorganization and the near-virtual transition—have been and continue to be handled poorly, which is negatively affecting morale.  

Contract Negotiations 

Having narrowly avoided a strike this spring, MEC queried members’ willingness to have withdrawn their labour. The vast majority of members (88%) indicated were likely to have withdrawn their labour during a strike or lockout, with just 6% saying they were unlikely. This reponse suggests AUFA’s strike threat was a credible one. A credible strike threat enhances the bargaining power of the union. 

Members had mixed views about the final contract that was ratified. The largest chunk of repondents (44%) indicated they were “somewhat satisfied”; neutral and “somewhat dissatisfied” responses each received 22%. Very few members indicated they were either very satisfied (5%) or very dissatisfied (about 7%). This distribution of responses suggests that members are feeling rather ambivalent about the settlement.  

Survey respondents provided a wide variety of comments on the contract language, but the issue most members identified as concerning was (unsurprisingly) the loss of Research and Study Leave for professional members. Comments were broadly aligned with the discussion among members during bargaining, which includes broad, but certainly not unanimous, support for this benefit.  

In addition to the RSL issue, cost of living, inflation, and wages were frequently mentioned. Members broadly felt the cost-of-living adjustment was inadequate. Cost of home office was identified as needing to be addressed. 

Jobs in Athabasca 

As previously reported, a majority of respondents (73%) supported AUFA’s current position that, while no current AUFA member should be forced to re-locate, AU should make an effort to hire a portion of new staff to the Athabasca area. MEC also asked if AUFA should take a position on this issue at all, and a majority (67%) agreed that it should. 

Understanding that, as a union, we are often dealing with multiple priorities, MEC also asked about the relative importance of this issue. There was more disagreement on this question, with only 51% of respondents suggesting it was important that AUFA take a position. That is, there seems to be a portion of members (about 15–25%) who think AUFA should take a position and who agree with AUFA’s current position, but who don’t see this issue as a top concern. There were some identifiable differences when analyzing this question in more detail, so it’s worth taking a look at where some of this discrepancy comes from.  

There were some notable differences here when comparing new employees with those who have been at AU for longer. This issue is important to just 31% of employees who have been at AU fewer than 10 years, while 81% of those who have been at AU more than 20 years said this issue was important to them. 

It is also worth noting that support for AUFA’s position on this issue varies widely between faculties and departments, with the strongest support in FB, FHSS, and the IT department, and weakest support in FHD, FST, and other departments. 

Member comments were diverse. Some members noted that requiring candidates live in Athabasca may narrow the applicant pool unacceptably. Other suggested that candidates could be enticed to live in Athabasca through meaningful incentives.  

Some members felt AU’s primary role is to educate students, not contribute to the economy of Athabasca. Other members note that AU’s location was chosen for economic development purposes and there is no necessary conflict between providing online education while having a portion of jobs located in the Athabasca area. 

Other members were concerned that successive Boards and executives had mishandled this issue (primarily by ignoring it) and that the government was intervening due to political pressure. Some members suggested that the university executive should be expected to model a commitment to Athabasca by living in the Athabasca area, at least part of the time. Others suggested rethinking this issue in order to take advantage of the possibilities a rural campus offers.  

While a lot has happened since this survey was conducted in June, the AUFA executive’s open letter points to several ways in which this issue might be resolved in a constructive and mutually beneficial way.  

Netskope and Privacy 

Members were strongly in favour of AUFA taking steps to protect their privacy after AU installed surveillance software called Netskope on member computers without forewarning or data governance. 

Members’ comments provide many insights about their concerns with this program being used on their work computers, with some common themes: 

• It constitutes a breach of privacy. Members feel concerned about this being a breach to their right to privacy, confidentiality, and security in the workplace. 

• It creates a culture of mistrust between workers and the employer, as they feel not trusted and feel spied and surveilled by the employer. 

• Lack of transparency. Members manifested being concerned about not being properly informed on the reasons why this program is being used, about the data that is being collected, and about the implications that this may have for their privacy in the workplace. 

• It jeopardizes research participants’ right to security, anonymity, and confidentiality. Members who manage and storage research data collected among vulnerable populations (including Indigenous, racialized, and those with precarious legal status) think that the tracking of this information jeopardizes the security of research participants and their right to confidentiality and privacy, making researchers to incur in violations of research protocols. 

• Lack of informed consent. Members feel concerned about the fact that the decision to install a program to collects information was made on a top-down manner, without previous consultation, proper notice, or consent. 

• Insecurity in the workplace. Members fear that the information that is being collected can be used to punish those engaged in disputes with the employer. 

• Threat to safety. Members feel unsafe in the workplace, as they have no clear understanding of what type of information is being tracked and collected, and as they have no clear understanding if this information includes family/personal information. 

• It affects productivity and morale, as the feelings of being spied “all the time” discourages engagement with the job. It also discourages the search of information that can be seen as “suspicious” from the point of view of the employer. 

• There are no clear policies and rules governing the use of this software in the workplace. 

The AUFA executive is following up with the employer about the use of this software and the timelines for a privacy impact assessment, but have so far received no new information.  

The survey also asked members about their use of the AUFA website. This feedback has been shared with the communications committee and will help inform future work to improve the website for members.  

MEC extends its thanks to its volunteer callers as well as the members who took the time to answer the survey. The next MEC survey is planned for this fall. If you would like to be volunteer to help with survey calls, please email engagement@aufa.ca. 

Rhiannon Rutherford 

AUFA President

More Details on Digital Picketing

Back in December, AUFA’s Job Action Committee (JAC) provided an overview of flying (i.e., in-person) and digital picketing. As a potential strike and/or lockout looms, this post provides additional details about digital picketing during the first few weeks of any work stoppage. An earlier post this week provided some additional details on flying pickets. 

Overview of Digital Pickets 

If a strike or lockout occurs, AUFA will be organizing four kinds of digital picketing to start with: 

• recruiting individuals to sign AUFA’s online petition,  

• sharing materials on social media,  

• contacting selected individuals (administrators, university donors, MLAs) by phone and email, and  

• contacting non-striking staff to check in on them and ask them to honour our picket line. 

Each day AUFA members will receive updated instructions about digital picketing activities.  

Some forms of digital picketing will entail the use of email or social media accounts. Members interested in creating anonymous email and social media accounts can follow these instructions. 

Instructions for email: Disposable email account - How to.pdf

Instructions for social media:  Disposable Twitter account - How to.pdf

Recruiting Individuals to Sign AUFA’s Online Petition 

AUFA will be launching an online petition that emails each petition signature to key actors at AU. Petition signatories will be pledging not to enroll in an AU course and not to recommend AU to others until a fair deal is concluded. The purposes of the petition are to: 

• easily allow allies and the public to support us, and 

• apply reputational and financial pressure to settle by demonstrating large numbers of interested students are refraining from registering in AU courses until the strike ends.  

Individual AUFA members will be asked to use their networks of family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to solicit five (or more!) signatures per day. This work will supplement our in-person leafletting work with current PSE students on campuses that send AU significant numbers of visiting students. 

What to do: 

• Each day, contact five people you know individually by phone, video chat, email, text, or by seeing them in person. If you are nervous about this, start close to home with family and friends. 

• Explain you are on strike, and that you need two minutes of their time to help us get a fair deal. 

• Ask them to sign the online petition (link and QR code provided). 

What not to do: 

• Do not mass email your contact list; that approach is ineffective. Personalized communications matter. 

Sharing Materials on Social Media 

AUFA will be providing a daily shareable (e.g., photos, memes, infographics) for members to share on social media. The purposes of these shareables are to: 

• generate public awareness of the strike by flooding social media spaces,  

• apply reputational pressure on the employer to settle, and  

• drive traffic to our online petition. 

What to do: 

• Share the memes on your social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, twitter, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, and so on). 

• Where a social media platform uses tags, ensure you use: #AUFAStrike #AthabascaU 

• Express how the employer’s behaviour is affecting you, such as “I’m tired to being treated poorly”, “I miss my students”, or “I’d rather be working”. 

• If you would like to add your own comments to a post, consider making a clear demand, such as “negotiate a fair deal” or “fair wages now”. 

• Direct interested people to our online petition. 

What not to do: 

• Do not engage with online trolls; they are not making good-faith arguments, are a waste of time, and are best ignored and/or blocked.  

Contacting Selected Individuals by Phone or Email 

AUFA will be providing a rotating list of the names, emails, and/or phone numbers of selected individuals for members to contact. These individuals are people who may be able to help us get a fair deal. This list will include members of Athabasca University’s Board of Governors and Executive Group, as well as donors, and MLAs. The purposes of these contacts are to: 

• generate awareness of the strike among key audiences, and 

• apply pressure (social, reputational, and financial) on the Board to settle. 

What to do: 

• Each day, contact the identified individuals by phone or email. 

• Explain you are on strike, and you need their help to get a fair deal. 

• Ask Board and executive members to negotiate a fair deal. 

• Ask donors to stop donating to AU for the duration of the strike and to tell AU that they plan to halt any donation until AUFA gets a fair contract. 

• Ask MLAs to direct AU’s Board to negotiate a fair deal. 

What not to do: 

• Do not mass email individuals; as noted above, that approach is ineffective. 

Contacting Non-Striking Staff to Check-in and Ask for Support 

AUPE and CUPE staff will continue to work during a strike. This will be a stressful time for our colleagues. We will be asking AUFA members to call a small number of our non-striking colleagues each day to check in on them.  

During this call, you might also tell them how the strike is going for you and thank them for declining to perform AUFA work during the strike. The purposes of these calls are to: 

• ensure non-striking staff are okay, 

• convey general information about the strike to non-striking staff, and 

• ensure they are aware they can refuse to perform struck work. 

What to do: 

• Each day, contact a few non-striking staff that you know. 

• Have a short, polite chat about how they are doing and also how the strike is going. 

• Thank them for their hard work and for respecting the AUFA strike.  

What not to do: 

• Do not keep people on the phone for longer than 10 minutes. 

• Do not call anyone who has asked you not to call them. 

JAC hopes this additional information is helpful in explaining what digital picketing will look like initially. As the strike and/or lockout goes on, we may change tactics.  

If you have questions about digital picketing, please direct them to me at barnetso@athabascau.ca . 

Bob Barnetson, Chair 

Job Action Committee 

More Details on In-Person Picketing

Back in December, AUFA’s Job Action Committee (JAC) provided an overview of flying (i.e., in-person) and digital picketing. As a potential strike and/or lockout looms, this post provides additional details about flying pickets during the first few weeks of a work stoppage. Tomorrow, JAC will provide more detail about digital picketing. 

Overview of Flying Pickets 

 If a strike or lockout occurs, AUFA will be organizing three kinds of flying pickets to start with:  

• traditional picketing,  

• leafleting post-secondary students, and  

• flyering neighbourhoods in Athabasca.  

Flying pickets will run for 90- to 120-minutes each. The tentative schedule of events is: 

• Athabasca: Wednesdays (picketing, flyering) 

• Calgary: tentatively Wednesdays (picketing, leafletting) 

• Edmonton: Tuesdays and Thursdays (picketing, leafletting) 

• Toronto: To be determined (leafletting) 

The specific events, their timing, and their locations will vary from day to day. The weekly schedule will be communicated each Friday. Before each event, members will receive details (e.g., location, parking, purpose) specific to the event.  

Traditional Picketing 

Picketing typically entails a group of people walking or standing in a public place (such as a sidewalk, boulevard, or greenspace) outside of an AU building or near a busy intersection holding signs. The goals of picketing are to make the public aware of the strike (i.e., apply reputational and financial pressure) and build member morale.  

What to do: 

• Talk with your colleagues and enjoy yourself. 

• Engage with the public in a friendly manner (e.g., wave at cars, say hello to pedestrians). 

• If a member of the public wants to chat, politely explain what is happening. 

• If a member of the public wants to help, hand them a leaflet (supplied by AUFA) or direct them to the event organizer. 

What not to do: 

• Do not come if you are unwell. 

• Do not block or impede the public’s use of sidewalks, streets, or driveways. 

• Do not confront or argue with members of the public (this almost never happens anyway). 

• Do not do interviews with the media; please direct them to the event organizer. 

What to wear: 

• A mask, hat, and sunscreen. 

• Clothing appropriate for the weather; assume it will be 10 degrees colder than expected. 

• Good shoes—you will be standing a lot on hard surfaces. 

What to bring: 

• A picket sign if you have one (we will have sticks and staples onsite as well as extra signs). You will also be able to borrow one on-site. 

• A folding chair if appropriate (yes for greenspace; no for sidewalks). 

• Water and a snack. 

• A friend or colleague. 

Each event will be run by one or more organizers who will be able to answer questions and sort out unexpected events. 

Leafleting Post-Secondary Students 

Leafleting entails a small group of people in a public space quietly handing out leaflets, engaging in one-on-one conversations with students, and asking them to sign our online petition. This might include a food court, hallway, or transit station on or near a college, polytechnic, or university. The primary goal is to make potential AU visiting students aware of the strike, and to get them to pledge to not enroll in or recommend others attend AU until the strike is resolved.  

What to do: 

• Work individually or in pairs; keep other AUFA members in sight. 

• Approach a student, explain who you are, and ask if you can talk to them for 2 minutes. 

• Outline the strike situation (script provided) and explain why we’re seeking their help. 

• Ask them if they will agree to not register at AU during the strike. 

• If so, ask them to sign the petition (QR code on leaflet takes their phone to it). 

What not to do: 

• Do not come if you are unwell. 

• Do not wear a sign, parade in front of an entrance, or gather in large groups (that is picketing behaviour, and this is leafleting). 

• Do not attempt to interfere with people going about their business. 

• Do not confront or argue with members of the public (this almost never happens anyway). 

• Do not bother people who decline your initial request to chat. 

• Do not do interviews with the media; please direct them to the event organizer.  

What to wear: 

• A mask and clothing appropriate for the location. 

• Good shoes—you will be standing a lot on hard surfaces. 

What to bring: 

• Your phone. 

• A friend or colleague. 

Each event will be run by one or more organizers, who will be able to answer questions and sort out unexpected events.  

If you are asked to leave the premises by a representative of the post-secondary institution, please indicate you will comply and then walk the person making the request to the organizer who will address the issue.  

Flyering in Athabasca 

Flyering entails a small group of people placing handbills in mailboxes. The primary goal is to raise awareness of the strike with residents of Athabasca, who have a particular interest in good wages and working conditions and the future of AU, as well as to get them to sign our online petition.  

What to do: 

• Work individually or in pairs; keep other AUFA members in sight. 

• Place a flyer (supplied) in a residential mailbox or tape it to their door. 

• If a resident asks what the flyer is about, explain we’re seeking their help. 

• Ask them to sign the petition (QR code on flyer takes their phone to it). 

What not to do: 

• Do not come if you are unwell. 

• Do not confront or argue with members of the public (this almost ever happens anyway). 

• Do not do interviews with the media; please direct them to the event organizer. 

What to wear: 

• A mask, hat, and sunscreen. 

• Clothing appropriate for the weather; assume it will be 10 degrees colder than expected. 

• Good shoes—you will be walking a lot on hard surfaces. 

What to bring: 

• Your phone. 

• A friend or colleague. 

Each event will be run by one or more organizers, who will be able to answer questions and sort out unexpected events. 

JAC hopes this additional information is helpful in explaining what flying pickets will look like initially. As the strike and/or lockout goes on, we may change tactics. Additional information about digital picketing will be forthcoming tomorrow. 

If you have questions about in-person picketing, please direct them to me at barnetso@athabascau.ca . 

Bob Barnetson, Chair 

Job Action Committee 

AUFA Strike Overview

Yesterday, AUFA members voted to authorize a strike and AU voted to authorize a lockout. This means either party can provide 72 hours of notice that they will be triggering a work stoppage.

At present, AU has not served lockout notice on AUFA. AUFA’s executive has been clear that AUFA will not service notice of a strike without a further vote of the members (unless AU serves lockout notice). AUFA’s hope is that bargaining towards a new agreement will resume this week.

In the meantime, the Job Action Committee (JAC) is finalizing plans should a strike be necessary. This post is a high-level overview of a strike. Posts tomorrow and Thursday will address in-person and digital picketing respectively.

What a strike would look like

A strike entails most AUFA members withdrawing their labour (as approved by the membership in January) and receiving strike pay in lieu of their regular salary. The purpose of withdrawing our labour is to disrupt AU’s operations and thus apply pressure on AU to agree to a fair deal.

AUFA members will also be engaging in flying (i.e., in-person) picketing and digital picketing to attach reputational costs to AU’s intransigence at the table. This is designed to amplify the operational pressure on AU to settle. AU may choose to respond to a strike by locking out AUFA members.

During any strike and/or lockout, AUFA’s bargaining team will continue to negotiate because, ultimately, a strike is about getting a new deal with which AUFA members can live. Often, however, it can take some time for the pressure on the employer to become high enough that they will agree to a fair deal. PSE strikes are on average 3.5 weeks in length and typically last no more than 6 weeks. How long AU might hold out is unknown.

Who will withdraw what labour?

During a strike, the expectation is that all AUFA members will withdraw their labour except:

• those on maternity and/or parental leave

• those on workers’ compensation

• those on long-term disability

• those on research and study leave

• those who receive an exemption (adjudicated by a committee)

Members who are not required to strike should see their AU income continue (because they are not on strike). All other members will receive strike/lockout pay (see below). If AU locks out AUFA members, AUFA members who are exempt from striking (the list above) and whose income is affected will receive strike/lockout pay.

The labour to be withdrawn by striking AUFA members is:

• professors and academic coordinator will stop teaching, coordinating their courses, and performing university service work, and

• professionals will stop performing their professional duties and university service work.

AUFA has no expectation that striking members will stop doing research, undertaking professional development, or stop their external service activities (i.e., you may perform these tasks without salary if you like).

AU has indicated it will create impediments to doing so by limiting access to AU IT systems and research and PD funds that it administers. This may mean you will lose access to your AU computer, email, phone, and systems (and any materials stored on them). Please see this post about professional preparations to make prior to a strike.

What strike/lockout pay will I receive?

All members who (1) withdraw their labour, (2) perform 10 hours of strike duties each week, and (3) provide AUFA with the necessary banking information, will receive strike/lockout pay.

Strike/lockout pay begins on the fourth day of a strike and/or lockout and is $88 per day tax free (i.e., there are no deductions). Payment will be biweekly. AUFA will try to match AU’s current payment schedule.

All members will continue to have access to their regular health, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. Pension contributions will be suspended during a strike or lockout.

AUFA has also set up a Member Emergency Fund. More details about the fund will be available shortly. Please see this post about financially preparing for a strike.

If you have a mortgage, you may wish to approach your bank about delaying or deferring your payments. The key points to make are:

• I am employed by Athabasca University.

• There is a high risk of a strike and/or lockout.

• I expect this work stoppage will cause financial stress.

• I am concerned about maintaining my mortgage payment during this time.

• I would like to discuss whether and how I might have some flexibility in my payments should a work stoppage take place.

What strike duties can I perform?

The Job Action Committee (JAC) has arranged flying (in-person) picketing in Athabasca, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto as well as digital picketing opportunities (that require no physical presence). JAC will provide more details about AUFA’s flying and digital picketing plans over the next two days.

The Membership Engagement Committee (MEC) has organized a caller group (who will call all AUFA members each week). If you would like to volunteer with this group as part of your strike duties, please contact engagement@aufa.ca. There will also be meetings and other virtual events, such as teach-ins and workshops to attend. MEC may also have other volunteer work available on an ad hoc basis.

Members who are not required to withdraw their labour (i.e., on maternity/parental leave, workers’ compensation, disability, RSL, or who receive an exemption) would not be required to perform strike duties.

AUFA members who become sick during the strike or experience other life events that interfere with strike duties can receive an exemption from a committee. More details on receiving an exemption will be available shortly.

How should I handle student queries?

Students are bound to have questions about the impact of a strike. Most of their questions can, however, only be answered by AU because they are about decisions that only AIU can make.

AUFA remains in contact with both the undergraduate and graduate student associations, AUFA has prepared a strike FAQ for students. AUFA has also posted a list of talking points should students approach you directly with questions.

If you have questions about striking, strike pay, or strike duties, please direct them to me at barnetso@athabascau.ca . Additional information about in-person and digital picketing will be provided tomorrow and Friday respectively.

Bob Barnetson, Chair

Job Action Committee

AUFA strike vote to proceed on Monday

On Monday, April 4, AUFA members will be voting on whether to authorize a strike. The AUFA Executive is urging all AUFA members to vote ‘Yes” in order to give the bargaining team the strongest possible leverage to get a deal. This blog outlines how we got here, why this vote is taking place, and what it means.

How we got here

Our collective agreement expired on June 30, 2020. Bargaining has been going on since March of 2021. AUFA’s executive delayed a previously scheduled strike vote to allow AUFA members to decide whether or not to accept a mediator’s recommended settlement. On Tuesday, 77% of AUFA voters rejected the recommendation.

AUFA’s bargaining team informed the mediator of the rejection on Wednesday. AUFA’s bargaining team also offered to return to the bargaining table with AU. This included an offer to further delay the strike vote conditioned upon AU agreeing not to authorize a lockout while bargaining was taking place.

AU has not accepted our offer to continue bargaining (although the offer remains open). Instead, they have tried to stall the April 4 strike vote at the Labour Board via a series of spurious objections. For example, AU says it is (suddenly) concerned that AUFA’s planned online vote will not allow AUFA members adequate opportunity to vote.

AUFA’s strike-vote mechanism is exactly the same system AUFA used to vote on the mediator’s recommendation on Tuesday. That vote saw 91.7% of members choose to cast ballots. AU’s last-minute objections are best understood as a delaying tactic. The Labour Board has declined to take action on AU’s objections and the vote will proceed.

It is difficult to know why AU is not taking advantage of AUFA’s offer to delay the strike vote by returning to the table and continuing bargaining. AU may be waiting to see if AUFA members are serious about striking before deciding whether to shift their position.

Why a strike vote

The purpose of authorizing a strike is to increase the AUFA bargaining team’s leverage to negotiate a mutually acceptable deal at the table. Often, but not always, a strong vote to authorize a strike motivates employers to reconsider their earlier bottom line. This happens because authorizing a strike means there are now real and immediate consequences for continued intransigence by the employer.

Given AU’s seeming lack of interest in further bargaining, a strike vote is also the next step in the bargaining process. If AU chooses to ignore AUFA’s efforts to resume bargaining, AU may need to experience the effects of a work stoppage before it changes its approach.

A strike would be an unfortunate outcome. In the end, however, only AU has the power to avoid a strike. And that requires AU to engage with AUFA in meaningful negotiations.

What a strike vote means

A strike vote authorizes the AUFA executive to commence a strike on 72-hours of notice.

A strike vote does not mean AUFA will immediately be serving notice to strike.

In announcing the results of Tuesday’s vote, the AUFA executive committed to not serving strike notice without a further vote of the membership, unless AU serves AUFA notice of its intention to lock AUFA out.

Authorizing a strike does, however, take us one step closer to actually going on strike. AUFA’s Job Action Committee has finalized strike plans and you will be seeing further information about these plans once the strike vote is completed.

Next steps

On Monday, you will receive an email invitation inviting you to cast an electronic vote, either authorizing or not authorizing a strike.

The AUFA executive is recommending members authorize a strike. A strong strike vote maximizes our ability to bring AU back to the table and gives the bargaining team the leverage its needs to get a deal.

If the membership authorizes a strike, the executive will not serve notice of a strike unless the members specifically authorize it to do so in a subsequent vote (unless AU serves lockout notice).

In solidarity,

Dave Powell

AUFA President 

Open letter to Dr. Peter Scott and AU’s Executive Team

Dear Dr. Peter Scott and members of AU’s Executive Team,

As you are likely aware, collective bargaining between AU and AUFA has not been going well.

We fully respect that you are maintaining distance from the process to allow AU’s bargaining team to represent the employer’s interests at the table. However, the current context does suggest that some direction from the Executive Team may be necessary to bring this extended conflict to a mutually satisfactory conclusion.

Specifically, there are significant contextual factors that are important to highlight.

AUFA members want a fair deal

AUFA members recently rejected a mediator’s proposed settlement by 77%, with 91% of members voting. This sends a strong and clear message that the concessions AU has been seeking in this round of bargaining are simply not acceptable.

No one is looking forward to a strike or lockout that could entail significant disruptions for learners. But AUFA members have also demonstrated that they are not willing to accept significant concessions that would erode working conditions, collegiality, and student experiences over time. Despite previous framing of AUFA as the aggressive party in this dispute, AUFA members are fully aware that our true position is that of defending valued protections and benefits from an unnecessarily aggressive employer.

Not all our members agree on every issue—that is the nature of a democratic organization—but our ongoing engagement efforts have revealed some clear themes that provide important context for determining what a fair deal might look like in this context.

We want to be excited about the future of AU

Our members have told us they believe deeply in the mission of this university. The strongest consensus that has emerged from our consultations is that we care about students and about learning. We want to be excited about our work. We want to be innovative, creative, and rigorous. But we feel blocked by a combination of factors and forces.

The most common concern is that our members feel overwhelmed by work and stripped of agency. Professional members affected by reorganization and major change initiatives feel they are denied the chance to do their best work. Academic members worry about the erosion of collegial governance while pressure increases a sense of precarity, especially for those newer to AU. Our members tell us key decisions are made in ways that shut out our expertise, experience, and enthusiasm.

We don’t oppose change and transformation, but it matters how that change happens. We don’t want to feel bullied, belittled, or ignored. We want you to listen to our feedback—really listen—and meaningfully include us in decision-making processes.

AUFA members are realizing that the process of collective bargaining offers a rare chance to assert our own agency. We don’t have to passively accept negative changes to our working conditions. Instead, we can demand the respect we deserve. We have heard from many members who suggest that they don’t want to strike but they will if necessary.

It’s about more than the language on the table

We all know this round of bargaining doesn’t exist in isolation. Our collective agreement has a long history and context and is intertwined with other aspects of our work environment.

There are a wide range of management decisions that influence how we feel about what’s going on at the bargaining table. There are many examples of this, so we’ll only name a few.

• The IT Optimization project was a really negative experience for most of our affected members, many of whom continue to feel devalued and stripped of agency.

• Top-down decisions affecting members in the Faculty of Health Disciplines, in particular, have combined with the pressures of educating front-line workers throughout the pandemic to create significant stress and erode morale.

• Many members have experienced the Near-Virtual initiative as stressful and contradictory.

• Many members have expressed concern about the lack of consultation and transparency during the implementation of the Integrated Learning Environment.

• We routinely field calls from members looking for clarification and support with navigating AU’s own processes, including significant concerns about a lack of support from HR with basic employment needs and an unnecessarily adversarial approach to labour relations.

• Members continue to feel anxious about AU’s threat to de-designate them from the union.

These experiences illustrate why we see a clear signal in our surveys that our members have extremely low levels of trust in AU’s leadership. Trust was already low when we started the surveys during Dr. Neil Fassina’s tenure, and it has only dropped since. In November 2021, only 15% of members surveyed said they agreed with the statement, “I trust the executive team of the university,” while 58% said they did not. AUFA members are not alone in this. Many AUPE and CUPE members have shared similar frustrations.

This low level of trust affects how we interpret communications from AU. Many members describe feeling insulted or outraged when reading AU’s communications, even on topics unrelated to bargaining, and have described it as incomplete, misleading, or disingenuous.

To be clear, this is not a reflection of the way our members who facilitate AU communications do their work. Rather, this reflects frustration and even exasperation with the lack of meaningful, transparent, and timely communication shared by AU’s top leaders.

It’s important for you to understand that our members have learned over the years to be suspicious or skeptical of the information and spin offered by AU’s leadership. What this means is that platitudes and vague promises won’t win our trust back. We need concrete and tangible actions.

You have the power to change course

The AUFA executive and volunteers will keep listening to AUFA members. In the past few weeks, we have heard that many members feel distracted and demoralized, and that most would very much appreciate an end to this lengthy battle. But our members are also focused on safeguarding and advancing valued protections and benefits.

It is clear that the university is the body with the power to change course. You have the opportunity to set a new tone that foregrounds respect for the workers of this university. You have the chance to open a new chapter of improved labour relations and increased collegiality. Give us all—our members, our colleagues, and our students—the chance to look to the future of AU with renewed optimism and energy.

We ask that you send a strong signal that you are ready to acknowledge, respect, and value the work we do. It’s time for you to demonstrate that you’re prepared to empower us to do our best work in service of our shared mission to remove barriers and increase equality of educational opportunity for adult learners worldwide.

Respectfully,

AUFA Executive and Members

This letter, with 130 AUFA members' signatures included, was delivered to Dr. Scott and the AU Executive on April 5, 2022. We are hopeful this will help to encourage the employer to take a different approach to bargaining than we've seen over the past several months.

AUFA members vote to reject mediator's proposal

Yesterday AUFA held a ratification vote on the mediator’s recommendation coming out of the last several bargaining days. 77% of members voted to reject the mediator’s recommendation, with 91% of AUFA members voting. This sends a powerful message to both bargaining teams that AUFA members want a better deal. The employer team now knows they cannot present deals like this one and hope for ratification.

Notably, there was extensive collegial discussion between AUFA members over the politics of the vote and reasons behind a yes or no. This remarkably high level of engagement also sends a strong signal that members are making informed and thoughtful decisions. The AUFA Executive met to discuss next steps, which are as follows.

Continuing Bargaining

The rejection of the mediator’s report puts both bargaining teams back to original proposals. As such there is currently no current offer from the employer to review. It is imperative that both teams get back to the table soon to negotiate a fair deal for AUFA members. AUFA’s bargaining team is ready to meet and is hopeful that the AU team will not revert back to the significant delays that characterized the first 11 months of bargaining. AUFA members have been without a contract for 638 days, and we are all anxious for an end to this upheaval. 

Strike Vote

AUFA had originally scheduled a strike vote for March 29, but we rescheduled this to allow for the ratification vote to proceed. With the report rejected, AUFA’s strike vote is now scheduled to take place next Monday, April 4th. In the AUFA Executive’s recommendation letter, it was noted that we would likely go ahead with a strike vote should the deal be rejected. This is the action we are taking, with a significant caveat outlined at the end of this post. Members are likely wondering why we would go ahead with the strike vote if our goal remains to find a deal at the table.

There are a few reasons:

• As many members identified in the email discussion around the ratification vote, strong strike votes offer significant additional leverage for the AUFA bargaining team. A solid strike mandate means that not only are members unsatisfied with the mediator’s proposed settlement, but they are also willing to back this up with a strike if necessary.

• While it may seem like an aggressive move, a strike vote at this point is actually still very defensive. Because of the different timelines involved for strike and lockout votes, there is a very real risk that the employer could lock us out before we are able to organize a new strike vote. If we are locked out but not in a position to strike in response, the employer might be able to impose much worse terms than the settlement members recently rejected. Having a strike mandate in hand would set us up to respond much more effectively if the employer took this type of action. (We hope they won’t, but it’s always better to be prepared!)

• A labour board supervised strike vote is a requirement for a legal strike, but the mandate lasts for four months. That is, a strike is not inevitable after a strong strike vote. Paradoxically, it can often mean that it’s less likely because the employer might be convinced to move to a better deal for AUFA members if it is facing a much more real risk of a work stoppage.

• If the employer does not lock us out and meaningful bargaining does resume, the AUFA executive has committed to polling the members again if we think that it is necessary to move toward calling a strike. This is above the minimum requirement by the labour board but it’s an important step to take in recognition that things can change very quickly. We will want to follow the membership’s lead!

However, if AU is willing to return to the bargaining table soon and provide assurances against a lockout in the near future, the AUFA executive is willing to further postpone the strike vote. This offer will be communicated to the AU bargaining team.

If AU agrees to these terms and the bargaining teams can reach a fair deal, another settlement recommendation will be brought to the members for ratification. If the employer continues to maintain a bottom line that is unacceptable, AUFA will seek a strike vote. If, however, AU does not agree to both more bargaining dates and assurances against a lockout, the planned strike vote on April 4th will proceed.

Engagement and Preparations

As we have communicated previously, the possibility of a strike or lockout remains quite real. Because this would be our first work stoppage and possibly the first virtual strike ever, it’s important that we continue logistics preparations for a potential strike. Again, this is not because a strike is inevitable or desired; it’s simply out of prudence to be as prepared as possible.

So, later today an election will be circulated to populate two elected strike committees that would assist with financial aspects. While these committees would only be active during a strike, establishing these in advance will allow them to function more effectively in support of members.

The Membership Engagement Committee will be exploring additional ways to build on the extremely high levels of engagement witnessed over the past few days. In the meantime, we are still seeking volunteer callers to help reach out to members one on one to check in and understand more fully where folks are at. Contact Rhiannon Rutherford if you would like to volunteer or learn more about these calls.

On behalf of the AUFA Executive, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to all AUFA members who participated in this vote and the discussions surrounding it. We are committed to making this process as democratic and participatory as possible. This is a difficult time, but I’m confident that we can come out of this stronger and ready to refocus on making this university the excellent and respectful place it should be.

In solidarity,

David Powell
AUFA President