Author of the article: Dylan Short
Publishing date: Feb 05, 2022 •
Members of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of going on strike.
The vote for strike action that took place this week saw over 90 per cent of votes cast in favour of taking strike action, with more than 80 per cent of members casting a ballot. Joy Morris, with the ULFA said they are unable to provide any information on the vote until Monday, stating they cannot confirm or deny any reports until then. The association told their members informally of the result Friday night.
Multiple people have confirmed to Postmedia the vote was for strike action. One member said they were surprised how one-sided the vote was but said it gives a strong mandate to union leaders and sends a strong message to the university.
Morris said the bargaining teams met twice this week and are scheduled to meet on Monday.
“We remain optimistic that the remaining issues can be resolved through negotiations,” said Morris.
The earliest a strike could take place is Thursday.
The faculty association and university are currently involved in collective bargaining agreements with the faculty association looking to resolve issues around pay and a number of other concerns. Statements previously issued by ULFA have said they do not want to go on strike if it can be avoided.
The University of Lethbridge did not respond to requests for comment Saturday afternoon.
A notice posted to the school’s website Feb. 3 shows the university filed a bad faith negotiations complaint against ULFA. The claim states the employer has been willing to engage in conversations and says the two sides were one per cent away on salary proposals when the faculty association left the bargaining table.
“The university bargaining team has been willing to engage in substantive discussions with the very clear intent of avoiding a labour disruption. We recognize that a ULFA strike will threaten the academic semester and the education of University of Lethbridge students,” reads the online statement. “A strike of any duration will have a negative impact on our culture, community, and the livelihoods of many not associated with the Faculty Association.”
NDP Advanced Education critic David Eggen and Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips issued a statement Friday evening saying the strike vote is a byproduct of funding cuts to post-secondary institutions from the provincial government.
“The lack of support and deep budget cuts to this school from the UCP will cause major disruption for Lethbridge residents and students,” said Eggen and Phillips.
The operating expenses for the Ministry of Advanced Education in the provincial 2021-24 fiscal plan shows the government budgeted $5.046-billion in expenses for post-secondary institution operations in 2019-20. In 2021-22 that the government estimated expenses at $4.608 billion. The budget shows that the amount of post-secondary schools budgets will come from own-source funding — funding outside of the province — is expected to increase from 47 per cent in 2019-20 to 52 per cent by 2023-24.
The province did not respond to requests for comment Saturday but Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has previously stated his government has worked hard to bring spending in line with other provinces.
The first faculty strike in Alberta’s history took place last month at Edmonton’s Concordia University, where faculty took to the picket line at the start of the winter semester. They ratified a tentative agreement with the university on Jan. 15.
Meanwhile, Mount Royal University faculty members are also currently locked in negotiations with the university over a new collective bargaining agreement.
dshort@postmedia.com
— With files from Jason Herring
MRU student leaders blame Alberta government cuts to post-secondary for potential faculty strike
Province says it is not involved in the negotiations with the university and its faculty association
Mount Royal University student leaders are blaming the provincial government for a potential faculty strike or lockout.
The university has been in contract negotiations for nearly two years with the faculty association. Last week, the association told CBC News that the two parties were in a deadlock — and a work stoppage is likely in the weeks ahead.
The government says it's not involved in the negotiation process, but Students' Association of Mount Royal University president Spirit River Striped Wolf says he disagrees.
"The provincial government has allowed these institutions to increase their tuition and fees, by an average of 7 per cent, so this is a ripple effect," he said.
"The government ultimately controls the structures and the foundations of the post-secondary education system. Otherwise, why call it a publicly funded institution? The government has a huge part to play when it comes to tuition and when it comes to collective bargaining."
In 2021, MRU's Campus Alberta base grant was reduced by 2.5 per cent, which was a loss of $2.3 million for the institution.
The previous year, in 2020, the province cut its funding for post-secondary grants by a total of 6.3 per cent.
Striped Wolf said students are exhausted, and in addition to the back and forth between in-person and online learning, they now have to face the possibility of a paused semester.
"It has to do with the government policy. When we talk to them about tuition increases, they say the same thing, 'Oh, it's your board of governors who are increasing your tuition. We're making cuts to their grants, but it is the institutions.' But universities are publicly funded," he said.
In a written statement, Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said he shares students' concerns about the possibilities of a delayed semester.
"Which is why we are encouraging both parties work together at the bargaining table and create a deal that is fair to faculty members, a reflection of the fiscal realities in the province, but also take into consideration the impacts of a strike on student learning," he said.
"In the event strike action should take place, I expect the institutions would have contingency plans to address any impact to students."
Striped Wolf said the students' association is calling on the Alberta government to restore post-secondary funding to "appropriate levels" and for the MRU Board of Governors to revoke the tuition increases.
"So Albertans can continue to easily access and benefit from a high-quality system of higher learning," he said.
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