CUPE 3911 works on behalf of AU part-time academics. But we also give solidarity to other unions, especially in the post-secondary education sector. Unity is strength. And our solidarity with other full- and part-time academics helps add power to their calls for just and fair contracts and to prevent roll-backs in educators’ working conditions (which are also students’ learning conditions)!

CONTENTS

Concordia University’s successful labour action in January 2022

Highlights of CUEFA’s new Collective Agreement

Rallies in Solidarity with ULFA: Fri, Feb. 11, 12-1

The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) went out on strike on Thursday, February 10, 2022, with picketing at Lethbridge and Calgary campuses. This marks Alberta’s second strike by university faculty this year, with Concordia’s faculty association out for ten days in January (in what was also an historic strike, being the first-ever in the post-secondary education sector in Alberta).

What helped end the strike at Concordia, and to avoid strikes in other instances, was the solidarity shown by full- and part-time time academics, students, communities, and by other unions in the post-secondary sector across Alberta and Canada. Now ULFA needs that support, and a province-wide rally was organized for Friday February 11 12:00-1:00 in solidarity.

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Concordia University’s successful labour action in January 2022

Background

On January 4, 2022, the Concordia University of Edmonton Faculty Association (CUEFA) went on strike in protest of difficult bargaining conditions. This is the first strike by a faculty association in Alberta. The university has refused to resolve the gridlock in bargaining and has instead allowed the university operations to come to a halt, which has meant that faculty can no longer carry on teaching and thousands of students are unable to begin their studies for the Winter 2022 semester. For compensation, the university has refused to offer higher pay to CUEFA members, despite reporting a surplus in the last two years. Instead, the university chose to spend $1.75 million on Edmonton’s century-old Magrath Mansion, a building without a clear role in the university’s core operations. Meanwhile, CUEFA members remain among the lowest paid faculty in Canada. While the Board of Governors changed bylaws to support compensation of the CUE President in comparison to a set of comparator universities, the same offer has not been extended to its faculty.

“If CUE can afford to buy a mansion, they can afford to pay its faculty”

Call To Action

Day of Action, January 14th!
Check out CUEFA website for more information:https://www.cuefa.ca/
Sign onto the letter to the president: https://makeitfair.caut.ca/cuefa?locale=en&fbclid=IwAR1fuVju2UmMGELao2eCD-5POp-7VLKby3488YY60F-Kd-PQmo5fbLrIGGo

Join the Social Media Campaign! Use these hashtags: #cuestrike #abpse
Tweet in support: @CUEfacultyassoc @SSCUEFA
Tweet to demand results: @SMandel_AB (chancellor of CUE), @CUE_President, @CUEdmonton

Highlights of CUEFA’s new Collective Agreement

CUEFA’s message:

Thank you, again, to all who stood with us and supported us in our fight for a new and fair deal. #SolidarityIsAVerb

Here are a few highlights of the new Collective Agreement:

1. Discipline.

Members can only be disciplined for JUST CAUSE. We are still unclear why this was a question to begin with, but are glad the Admin reversed course.

2. Intellectual Property.

All materials produced for a course – traditional, hybrid or online – and in any format (multimedia, lab manuals, slides, etc), belong TO the member and can only be used by the University for any other purpose with explicit permission from the member.

3. Workload.

Faculty members currently teaching 24 credits a year (4 courses a term) will, over 2 years be reduced to 18 credits (3 courses a term). There is more to this article but we will leave that for another day.

4. ASO.

New language for librarian average working hours over a month, and time in lieu. New categories for laboratory instructors, and clarification on lab coordination hours and compensation.

5. Salary.

The one everyone wants to know. The increases range from 4.39%-6.85% for members. This involves 2 extra grid steps (one immediate and retroactive to July 1, and the other effective January 1, 2023 – these are over and above the annual grid steps) and a 1.5% CoLA in the final year.