Last month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the February 2025 Bargaining Update.
This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In February, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 16 private sector and 5 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 1,598 and 3,407 workers respectively.
Among those settlements was a contract for over 150 workers employed by Lakeland College.
Based out of Vermillion, Lakeland College has a century-long history in agricultural eduction; although it’s expanded its course offerings over the 112 years since it opened. It now provides programming in such areas as environmental sciences, power engineering, early learning, child care, business, interior design, aesthetics, and fire and emergency services
The workers in this collective agreement include instructors, counsellors, librarians, lerner succes strategists, researchers, and faculty development coordinators. They’re represented by the Lakeland College Faculty Association.
The previous contract expired back in June 2020. This new contract was settled this past October; although Mediation Services only recently received their copy.
The new collective agreement is for 4 years, but because it wasn’t until August that it was finally settled, it had already been expired for 4 months by the time it was ratified.
It’s been a bit of a rough go for these workers the last few year. Their last contract was ratified almost two years after it had expired!
To top it off, these workers are set to receive wage freezes in every year of their new contract except the final one.
| 1 July 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2022 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2023 | 1.25% |
| 1 Dec 2023 | 1.50% |
And that’s just this contract. Check out what wage increases looked like in their previous two contracts.
| 1 July 2016 | 1.90% |
| 1 July 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2019 | 0.00% |
Since July 2016, these workers got 6 years in a row of wage freezes. During those same 6 years, the consumer price index in Alberta rose from 135.6 to 166.0, an increase of 22.42%.
And the Board of Governors at Lakeland College thinks that a measly 2.75% raise will help make up for inflation that’s eight times that amount?
That’s pathetic.
Here’s a look at what else has changed between the previous collective agreement and the new one.
The collective agreement states that bargaining for a replacement collective agreement should be concluded by 31 May of the year it expires. The previous agreement outlined several steps to follow for arbitration if that deadline isn’t met. The new agreement has replaced that all with the following clause:
If by May 31 the Association and the Board have not been able to agree upon the terms of the New Agreement, direction will be governed by the Alberta Labour Relations Code.
The previous agreement stated that any initial appointment of faculty members to either a probationary or continuing appointment was to be done in writing from the vice-president, academic or the dean. Now, it applies to just continuing appointments.
The following clause was added to the contract.
Every Sessional Faculty appointment shall be by notice of writing and shall, among other things state the effective date, term, category of appointment, contact hours, and salary. Each letter of appointment shall contain a link to where a copy of the Agreement can be accessed online and shall contain a statement that the appointment is subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement. The Faculty Association shall be sent a copy of the letter of appointment.
The following clause was removed from the contract:
Upon satisfactory completion of the probationary period, the faculty member in a full-time continuing or part-time continuing position shall be appointed to continuing member status.
And replaced with this:
The recommendation to be made at the expiration of the Faculty Member’s 2-year probationary period by the Faculty Evaluation Committee is either of the following:
- appointment to continuing member status
- or termination of employment.
As well, sessional full-time faculty who are being granted a continuing appointment will have a 1-year probationary period.
The following was added to the contract:
In the event the College is meeting with a Faculty Member for the purpose of disciplinary action, the College shall advise the Faculty Member of their right to obtain Faculty Association representation.
The article on faculty business gained 8 more clauses.
10.7 The College shall provide the Association with an appropriate office and the use of all internal communication services, without charge.
10.8 Meeting rooms on any campus may be booked through the normal booking procedures for Association business and shall be available without charge.
10.9 Where available duplicating, vehicle use, reserved parking, audiovisual, and other such services shall be provided to the Association at cost.
10.10 The Association agrees to indemnify and hold the College harmless against any claim or liability arising out of the application of this Article.
10.11 The College and Association shall cooperate in preparing and printing this Agreement. The cost of production shall be shared equally.
10.12 The parties agree that there shall be no discrimination or coercion exercised or practiced for reason of membership, seeking Faculty Association representation, or legitimate activity in the Association.
10.13 The College shall advise Faculty Members of their right to obtain Faculty Association representation when the College meets with them on any matter that may give rise to disciplinary consequences for that member.
10.14 The College shall make available to the Association, via the Lakeland College intranet, policies, procedures, and guidelines affecting the Association and its members.
The article on temporary promotion is no longer in the collective agreement.
This has also been added to the agreement:
If a Faculty Member does not sign their tentative workload or amended workload, they have 14 days to file a Workload Appeal from when they were presented their tentative workload or amended workload. Once the 14 days expire and the Faculty Member has not filed an appeal, nor signed their tentative workload or amended workload, the tentative workload or amended workload is deemed to be signed.
Under the previous agreement, workers had to be employed for 52 weeks to qualify for maternity leave. That’s been reduced to 90 days.
Maternity leave has been increased from 15 week to 16 weeks, and workers can take it as early as 13 weeks before the estimated date of delivery, up from the 12 weeks in the previous contract.
Parental leave has been increased from 37 weeks to 62 weeks, and the timeframe they can take it in has increased from 52 weeks after the child’s birth to 78 weeks.
Same goes for parental leave in the case of adoption, increasing from 37 weeks within 52 weeks after adoption to 62 weeks within 78 weeks after adoption.
The department chair modifier will increase from $4,500 per year to $5,000 per year.
The following clauses were removed from the collective agreement:
22.2 When a Faculty Member is transferred to a position entitled to vacation under this Article, any vacation leave entitlement earned under Article 12 of the Contract, shall remain in effect until received. Leave under this Article shall be earned on and from the date of transfer. Vacation leave earned prior to being transferred to a position entitled to vacation under this Article shall be taken.
22.3 When a Faculty Member is transferred to a position not entitled to vacation under this Article, any entitlement earned under this Article shall remain in effect until taken.
They were replaced with these ones:
21.2 Vacation earned in one academic year must be taken prior to the end of the next academic year. Exceptions to this must be pre-approved by the President.
21.3 The Faculty Association will be copied on the vacation usage report for faculty that is produced once per semester.
There is no longer different health spending amounts for faculty with family and those who are single. All faculty get the same amount, which is frozen at the amount in the last contract.
