University of Lethbridge staff ratify agreement, narrowly avoiding strike

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new collective bargaining agreement has been approved by hundreds of employees at the University of Lethbridge (U of L).

Approximately 550 members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) concluded voting on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

AUPE south region Vice-President Darren Graham says the deal includes employees in a variety of support roles at the university, including IT, registrar, student advisor, maintenance, and “basically, all the members that make the place run.”

Graham says, in 2021, the Alberta Government initially mandated a four percent salary reduction for post-secondary schools. He tells LNN that this nearly caused staff to strike.

Following a lengthy negotiation process that also saw a mediator step in, workers under the newly-ratified agreement will see salary increases.

The deal provides a 1.25 percent raise on April 1, 2023, and another 1.5 percent increase on December 1, 2023.

If certain economic conditions are met in Alberta, another 0.5 percent pay hike could follow in 2024.

Graham says employees will also see greater levels of drug coverage, improved language on health and safety, a better process for dealing with work reviews, and a streamlined process for managing grievances.

U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon says he is pleased that both parties have ratified the mediator’s recommendations and that a new collective agreement will be finalized.

“The new agreement recognizes the critical roles AUPE members undertake on behalf of the University. Their collective efforts contribute to the programs and supports provided to our students as well as enable and support the work of all colleagues on our campuses,” says Mahon. “The new agreement also supports the University’s ability to provide affordable and high-quality educational opportunities to its students.”

The new contract is set to expire on June 30, 2024.

LNN reached out to the Government of Alberta for additional comments.

Finance Minister and President of the Treasury Board, Travis Toews, stated, “I would like to congratulate the University of Lethbridge and AUPE on achieving a renewal agreement.”

Toews continued, “One of Government’s fundamental roles is to serve as responsible stewards of public sector funds. Budget 2022 estimated public sector compensation to be approximately $28 billion in the 2022-23 fiscal year, $18.8 billion of which is covered by collective agreements.”

He said, “The Public Sector Employer’s Act (PSEA) merely codified a long standing practice of determining the financial boundaries that public sector employers are to manage within.”

Toews added, “The Government of Alberta is committed to respecting the autonomy of public sector employers and the importance of the collective bargaining process; while at the same time, committed to ensuring that the costs of collective agreements bargained by public sector employers are aligned with the Province’s fiscal realities.”

The signing of this new deals follows a strike by educators at the U of L in early 2022. After a six-week work stoppage, members were able to reach a new agreement with the university, allowing for classes to resume.