Earlier this week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed at Athabasca University.
AUPe represents around 270 support workers at Athabasca University, including administrative support, programme advisors, various technicians, various clerks, financial aid advisors, academic advisors, evaluators, and workers in IT, circulation, distribution, capital projects, purchasing, groundskeeping, and the mailroom.
The most recent collective agreement these workers had expired in June 2024, nearly a year and a half ago.
Collective bargaining between these workers and Athabasca began over a year ago, in September 2024, but bargaining on monetary issues (such as wages and benefits) started this past July, nearly a year later.
At that meeting, Athabasca University offered 1.875% each year over 4 years, which amounts to 7.5% over the life of the contract, which the bargaining team for the workers called “insulting”.
Three months later, the university increased their offer to 10% over 4 years, with 3% in each of the first 2 years and 2% in each of the last 2 years.
The bargaining team told Athabasca University that they were unwilling to accept anything less than 12% over 4 years, which is what public sector workers throughout the province, including AUPE members, have been receiving this year.
And that seems reasonable, given the number of wage freezes they have received recently. Here is a look at their wage increases over the last 2 collective agreements.
| 1 July 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2019 | 1.00% |
| 1 July 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2022 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2023 | 1.25% |
| 1 December 2023 | 1.50% |
That is 3.75% over 7 years.
Inflation between July 2016 (the last raise prior to these two contracts) and July 2023 rose by 20.62%, which left these workers with a real wage cut of 16.87% after two contracts.
The original proposal of 7.5% is not even half the amount needed to make up for those lost wages, and 10% barely comes closer. Even if Athabasca University agrees to 12%, these workers will still fall short of keeping up with the increased cost of living.
Remember, this does not even include inflation during the 4 years of a new collective agreement. Inflation between July 2023 and July 2025, for example, was an additional 4.81%, pushing the real wage cut back above the 20% mark. And that would be only the halfway point in this new collective agreement.
The two parties are set to meet today and tomorrow to resume negotiations. Hopefully, the university comes back with a generous offer that can get these workers back on track to keep up with the increased cost of living.
In addition to asking for better wages, the bargaining team for the workers is asking for a wage grid, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a holiday, mental health being included in sick leave provisions, and the ability to grieve performance assessments.
