CKXU has received the following Press Release from The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA).
Below is a transcription of the letter for Screenreaders
Transcription for Screenreaders
-For Immediate Release-
The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) announced Monday February 14th that they had sent a new offer to the Board of Governors on Saturday evening, February 12th. The purpose of the offer was to restart negotiations that had stalled after the two parties’ strike and lockout deadlines.
The new proposal builds on the Board of Governors’ offer as the basis for looking at salary structures and increases and instead focuses on terms and conditions. The Board of Governors’ team has indicated that they are not yet prepared to discuss this offer, but are considering it.
The Board Team have also contacted ULFA to announce that they are adding external legal counsel to their negotiating team as a new co-lead. This is the fifth person who has been named by the Board to lead or co-lead their negotiating team in the current round of bargaining, and the second change in the last seven days.
“We think that the time has passed for posturing,” ULFA Chief Bargainer Locke Spencer noted. “It’s time to get back to the table and focus on achieving a settlement. For two years, the Board has been unwilling to move on even trivial things that are under their control, having nothing to do with government directives. We say let’s start by making some changes there,” Spencer said.
ULFA president Dan O’Donnell noted that the new ULFA proposal is quite similar to those seen at other bargaining tables in the province.
“At other universities, we are beginning to see proposals for settlements that follow this pattern,” he said. “Financial settlements in the range we are proposing with across-the-board adjustments based on the Board’s numbers, and with significant gains in terms and conditions to compensate for lower cost-of-living adjustments.”
“It is only at the U of L that we are seeing a resistance to compromise on both money and terms and conditions.”
The ULFA bargaining team proposed to restart negotiations on Monday morning. There had been no reply at press-time, but Morris remains hopeful.
“Sooner or later, we will have to settle this dispute,” Morris said. “The question is how long the Board is willing to let this disruption go on before it ends.”
“ULFA calls on the Board team to meet with us at the table and get this done,” she added. “We’ve always said that that is where we ought to be focusing our energies.”
CKXU has been made aware of the following Press Release from The University of Lethbridge Students’ Union.
Below is a transcription of the letter for Screenreaders
Transcription for Screenreaders
Dear Undergraduate Students of the University of Lethbridge Community,
The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) is on strike effective at 11:00am today, and the Board of Governors have declared a subsequent lockout, effective tomorrow at 11:00am. We are disheartened by the disruption of classes, especially considering the challenges of the past two years. Tuition in our sector is at an all time high. Students are paying higher than they ever have before, for online classes and self-directed learning; as of today students are paying top dollar to wait out this job action instead. Students are facing yet another disruption, willfully imposed by people, at tables they have no voice at, while both parties tout that they’re pro-students.
Bettering the university by virtue of a solid collective agreement that both parties are proud of, is in the best interests of students; lockouts and strikes are not. For collective bargaining to be successful, it must be an interest-based negotiation– both sides need to be willing to make compromises and find common ground rather than focusing on the distance between them.
The ULSU is reminded of the days following the fall 2021 reading week. We received an outpouring of emails with concerns and anecdotes of how difficult it is to be a student. We responded to this in two ways; first was our speech addressing the Board of Governors, and the second was a call for collaboration to lobby the Alberta government to stop gutting the post secondary sector. At the time, we were satisfied that we were getting engagement from faculty and administration alike on the matter, but now it feels like we have lost so much progress. We fear this divisiveness is further justification for the provincial government to continue defunding and privatizing the sector.
On the morning of the cooldown period lapsing, ULSU President Kletke sent correspondence to both Mike Mahon and Dan O’Donnell, urging them to consider the weight of both of their decision-making power when it comes to job action. We regret to write today that it appears our words were not heeded by either party, as the situation has become increasingly hostile and tenuous between them. We agree that better working conditions are better learning conditions– this is critical for retaining and bolstering our quality of learning. We also recognize that the Alberta government has imposed unfortunate budget cuts to our institution and will likely continue to do so. The turbulence of the past two years has had negative effects on all those in the University community, but now is the time to work together to solve our problems. We are disappointed to see the leveraging of students in negotiations and messaging. We understand job action is a legitimate means of reaching an agreement, however we are disappointed to witness what appears to be the demonization of one another, rather than an active pursuance of coming together. We encourage that the parties re-read these calls for change and collaboration*, and we will issue as many reminders as necessary.
The Board and the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association will say they care about students. The Government of Alberta will say they care about students. Whether these groups genuinely do or do not, is up to you to decide. However, since we first considered the possibility of job action in Fall 2021, the ULSU has always advocated for students’ interests at the U of L and always will. We refuse to let any party weaponize student emotions and fears for their gain, furthermore we will not stand idly as the word “students” is thrown around like a bargaining chip.
We have no plans to stop fighting for you, the students, and we certainly don’t plan on giving up now. We invite and encourage you to engage with us in the coming days to get back to class.
Yours in solidarity,
Holly Kletke, President Ryan Lindblad, Vice-President External Mitch Nixon, Vice-President Student Affairs Rebecca Parkkari, Vice-President Academic Mark Serebryansky, Vice-President Operations and Finance
Please contact [email protected] with any omissions or errors in our transcription.
CKXU has received the following Press Release from The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA).
Below is a transcription of the letter for Screenreaders
Transcription for Screenreaders
-For Immediate Release-
Negotiations Breakdown Between ULFA and University of Lethbridge Board of Governors – Strike Announcement
After meeting this morning (Thursday February 10, 2022), negotiations between the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) and the University’s Board of Governors have broken down. At 11:00 am MST, ULFA will begin legal strike action.
ULFA members have been in negotiations for over 600 days, and have seen minimal movement at the bargaining table regarding outstanding key issues such as working conditions, collegial governance, and equitable pay and benefits.
ULFA’s President Dan O’Donnell will be giving two press conferences today. One will be in-person at the North entrance to the Lethbridge Campus (intersection of University Dr. and Valley Rd. W.) and the second at 1:30pm via Zoom.
ULFA provides commentary on this decision of the Board. The majority of these positions are held by students, who will be “effectively” laid off later this month in the event of a strike.
CKXU has interviewed the Vice-President of AUPE Darren Graham and President of the GSA Priyanka Dutt.
The ULSU has updated their Job Action Questions Page. As well, the Council of Alberta University Students’ has released a letter on job action.
ULFA has sent emails to its members regarding picketing; ceasing all teaching, assignment-writing, And test-writing during job action, and to-dos before the strike which could occur tomorrow.
The SAS will be hosting a townhall for students tomorrow (Thursday, February 9th).
Bow Valley College has sent an email to their students regarding information should picketing occur at BVC (which houses the uLethbridge Calgary Campus).
The Campus Collective Centre and Lethbridge Public Interest Research Group provide solidarity statements with ULFA.
University Administration to Reject Timesheets from Hourly-Paid Research Employees.
ULFA Press Release.
Earlier today ULFA sent out a press release regarding the University of Lethbridge Administration’s decision to reject timesheets from hourly-paid research employees. The press release starts out as copied below:
University Board threatens layoffs for student employees. Faculty Association establishes fund to support students and others harmed by the Board’s actions
The University of Lethbridge Administration, on behalf of the Board of Governors of the University of Lethbridge, announced yesterday that it would refuse to accept time sheets from hourly-paid research employees in the event of a strike and would cease all payments to hourly paid employees as on February 21.
“Held Almost Exclusively by Students.”
The press release continues to outline that students make up the majority of these workers who will be affected. A continuation of the press release is copied below:
Hourly-paid research positions at the University are held almost exclusively by students. Most funding for these positions comes from grants brought to the university by researchers from external funding agencies. By laying students off in this way, the Board of Governors is undermining an important source of external support for its own students.
“…all hourly-paid research employees will be, in effect, laid off by the Board.”
In response to this update from the University Administration, ULFA sent an email, imaged below, to its members. The email states that ULFA members need submit hours for these hourly-paid research employees ahead of time.
Clipped sentence states: We will donate a portion of money received from other unions to this fund and will solicit donations from the local, provincial, and national communities. We are currently researching platforms and designing policies for access. We hope to make a further announcement in the next few days, should strike/lockout become inevitable.
Darren Graham is the Vice-President of AUPE. Below is an excerpt of his interview:
DG: We actually had a meeting of all the local chairs, which basically represent the 95,000 workers that AUPE represents. They actually passed a motion the other day to stand in solidarity with the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association in their struggles to obtain a fair agreement through collective bargaining. Furthermore, they called upon the Government to properly fund all post-secondary education within the province of Alberta and to allow Boards of Governors to independently bargaining with all their employees in a fair and respectful manner.
Priyanka is the President of The Graduate Students’ Association. Below is an excerpt of her interview:
PD: Sadly, there’s not enough funding for post-secondary education, and it’s kind of unfortunate. I’m sure as everyone knows, to ensure that we have a bright future you need to invest in your future and that includes investing in post-secondary. It’s unfortunate to see that we don’t have that funding. Sadly, I don’t know how things are going to go in the future. But in terms of students supporting post-secondary education and what they can do – you can contact our Chair of the Graduate Students’ Labour Relations Board, Jackson Hamm, at [email protected] and I’m sure that he has signs and whatnot that you can absolutely grab and keep at your homes. Also, students are more than welcome to join ULFA at the picket lines. While this is a Faculty strike, this also speaks to the condition of post-secondary learning and the environments that we are both teaching and learning in, so that support is definitely welcome.
ULSU Updates Their Job Action Response and Collective Bargaining Page.
The University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU) Job Action page has undergone heavy changes. Below is an excerpt from the page:
In response to this, the FAQ webpage page is changing to represent the ULSU’s whole advocacy effort about collective bargaining and job action. The first part of this webpage is a recent video from the ULSU Executive Council titled US to U: Job Action. The second half is a glossary of relevant labour terms. The last portion of this page is the FAQ that we’ve been updating since October. The EC answered questions submitted directly by students about this situation. We want to thank these students for submitting their questions as it has given us an understanding of what concerns need to be addressed by students. We hope you find that it is a useful and reassuring resource.
ULSU Official Position Statement.
Additionally, on the job action page, the ULSU has provided this official statement:
Voted unanimously by the ULSU General Assembly on January 21st, 2022
The Students’ Union recognizes the importance of the collective bargaining process in negotiating a collective agreement between the faculty union and the University. We further recognize our positionality in this process, being that the Students’ Union is formally unable to waver decisions to the benefit of either party. We strongly encourage both parties to actively and continuously consider how their decisions impact students and their quality of learning, especially when considering job action. We further recognize that students have already had to bear financial, mental and academic challenges this past semester, and urge both sides to consider how their decisions exacerbate student struggles.
ULSU Provides Their Spring 2022 Remediation Plans.
The ULSU Executive Council has also provided their planned remediations in the event a strike should occur and for how long. These remediations are what the ULSU expects of the University to lessen the impact a potential strike will have on students. For example, below is an excerpt of what remediations they would like to see should job action go on for four or more weeks:
Job action lasts 4 weeks or more: (Ending on or after March 10th)
We advocate that: – Regular communications are given to students in an accessible, clear, and timely manner. – A decision must be communicated regarding the modality of learning past February 28th, and if in-person learning is pursued, administration should refer to the ULSU’s Fall 2021 recommendations on academic accessibility for in-person learning. – A 24 hour grace period is given before classes resume. – Excused absences are given to students who are not able to attend class in-person. – Online learning must be made available to any students who need to access their class remotely, should classes be in-person. – There are no changes to the academic schedule. – Dates and deadlines for graded material be extended, at the discretion of the professor and students in the classroom. – Credit/non-credit designations are made available, with no limit on the number of courses a student is eligible to apply for, and an extension to the deadline to apply. – Coop [Co-Operative Education], WIL [Work Intergrated Learning], practicum, intern, applied, and independent study students do not face any academic or financial repercussions for missed time or hours. – Tuition refunds be seriously considered, and/or a tuition deferral model be officially adopted.
Council of Alberta University Students’ (CAUS) Letter and Infographics.
CAUS has released a letter regarding supporting students in the event of classroom disruptions. The ULSU is a member of CAUS, which is the provincial advocacy group for Undergraduate University Students.
Important Information on Upcoming Strike Commencing 11am Thursday, February 10.
This email provides an FAQ for ULFA members on what they need to do before, on, and after February 10th should a strike occur. Below are images of the email:
Missing Sentences Due to Header:
No non-ULFA employee should be assigned ULFA duties, or any teaching and research duties beyond their existing assignment in the case of graduate student assistants. The Board has indicated that all class-related activities will cease during a strike. Also see ULFA’s Job Action Student FAQ for further details.
Missing Sentences Due to Header:
Members that need to cancel a particular picket shift should notify their assigned picket captain for that day. The Member can request to attend a different picket shift the same week, in lieu of the missed strike shift or perform alternate duties.
Missing Sentences Due to Header:
The ULFA JAC team is made up of volunteer ULFA Members like you, and is working hard to provide you with additional instructions and details. Watch your email for additional information in the coming days.
All Teaching, Assignment-Writing, And Test-Writing Must Cease During Job Action.
This email provides clarity to ULFA members on what they can and cannot do if job action (a strike) is taken. Below are images of the email:
Missing Sentences Due to Header:
Additionally, students should not be assigned coursework (reading and similar tasks) for the duration of a job action. If a job action begins, all class-related activities should be suspended for the duration of the job action, with all due dates postponed indefinitely until it is clear when Members will return to work. On a similar note, continuing to perform service for University committees would also be considered strike breaking.
ToDos Before the Strike/Lockout at 11 AM Tomorrow.
This email provides faculty members with a task list of what they need to do before the potential strike starting tomorrow morning. Below are images of the email:
Missing Sentence Due to Header:
Other Considerations:
Missing Sentences Due to Header:
Sample Benefits Message:
Email the following from your alternative email to [email protected] and
Student Action and Solidarity Council Townhall.
SASC To Host Townhall Thursday Night to Connect Students and Faculty.
Please contact [email protected] with any omissions or errors in this report. Additionally, if your Screenreader is having difficulties reading images on this report, let us know and we will start transcribing them.
CKXU has received the following Press Release from The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA).
Below is a transcription of the letter for Screenreaders
Transcription for Screenreaders
University Board threatens layoffs for student employees. Faculty Association establishes fund to support students and others harmed by the Board’s actions
The University of Lethbridge Administration, on behalf of the Board of Governors of the University of Lethbridge, announced yesterday that it would refuse to accept time sheets from hourly-paid research employees in the event of a strike and would cease all payments to hourly paid employees as on February 21.
Hourly-paid research positions at the University are held almost exclusively by students. Most funding for these positions comes from grants brought to the university by researchers from external funding agencies. By laying students off in this way, the Board of Governors is undermining an important source of external support for its own students.
University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) President Dan O’Donnell condemned the Board’s move.
“Over the last few weeks, we have seen the Administration lash out repeatedly at students and other employee groups who have nothing to do with the labour dispute between ULFA and the University Board.”
“ULFA understands that students are the lifeblood of any university and has worked to ensure they are harmed as little as possible by job action, should it occur.”
In response to the Board’s Announcement, O’Donnell said that ULFA would establish a support fund for the affected students and other University employees affected by the Board’s actions.
“We call on the University to work with us to settle this dispute and to minimise the harm to students and others if job action becomes inevitable,” he added.
“Working on research projects is important both as a source of student funding and of student training,” Health Sciences professor and Board of Governors Teaching Chair Olu Awosoga noted. “We regret that the University would withdraw this important source of funding from some of our most vulnerable students.”
O’Donnell noted that ULFA policy had allowed Members to “cross the picket line” in order to support student employees. “
We realise how important this is to our students,” he said. “Our strike policy encouraged Members to make sure there was a proxy in place to approve student hours should we be forced to go on strike.”
“It is difficult to see this move as anything but an attack on students and the experiential learning opportunities that are so crucial to our success as an institution,” he added. “In the long run, that hurts us all.” — 30 —
Media Contact Dan O’Donnell 403-393-2539
Please contact [email protected] with any omissions or errors in our transcription.
ULFA provides an update on their recent negotiations with the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors. Additionally, there have been changes of membership on the ULFA Board Negotiating Team.
ULFA: Feb. 7 Negotiation Update.
Third Negotiation Session After Close of Mediations
ULFA has provided an update on negotiations following the formal mediation period with the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors. Below is an excerpt from the update:
On February 7th, the Board and ULFA negotiation teams held their third negotiation session following the close of formal mediation on January 17th. This was the first session after the official announcement of ULFA’s 92% strike vote by the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB). The February 1st and 4th negotiation sessions are reported here. The February 7th session consisted of further discussion of current negotiation positions following the close of mediation.The ULFA team reconfirmed its top bargaining priorities (compensation and benefits, workload, member participation in academic decision-making, and equity) which were most recently restated at the start of mediation and reiterated in the February 1st negotiation session, in written communication on February 2nd, and in its proposal package of February 4th.
Changes to Board Negotiation Team
Additionally, in the same update, ULFA released changes to their board negotiation team:
The Board’s negotiation team welcomes one new member: Dr. Kerry Godfrey, filling a vacancy left by the departure from the team of Dr. Robert Wood, who had been the Lead Spokesperson. The current Board negotiation team is comprised of Dr. Harold Jansen as Lead Spokesperson, Dr. Kerry Godfrey, Dr. Richelle Marynowski, and Linda Van der Velde. Dr. Jansen becomes the fourth lead negotiator for the Board during this round of negotiations.
Please contact [email protected] with any omissions or errors in this report. Additionally, if your Screenreader is having difficulties reading images on this report, let us know and we will start transcribing them.
CKXU has been forwarded an email from the Accommodated Learning Center on how Job Action will Impact Students Accessing Their Services.
Below is a transcription of the email for Screenreaders.
Here is the link in the sentence: Information can be found here
Here is the link in the sentence: Please consider and encourage your peers to access the wellness resources found here.
Transcription for Screenreaders
From: alc-students-l <[email protected]> on behalf of Vickers, Dawn <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 8, 2022 9:56:52 AM Subject: [alc-students-l] ALC Activities and impact of job action – mailing list email, do not reply
Good Morning ALC Registered Students,
Please see the following information for answers to questions you may have about the ULFA announcement of strike action and the potential impact to your accommodations.
Will the Accommodated Learning Centre Team be available if there is a strike?
Yes, the ALC team will continue to be available to support students during regular office hours. We are still determining if we will be working from campus. However, we are set up to transition to remote services quickly and efficiently, if needed. Our office hours are weekdays 8:30am-4:30 pm (closed for lunch).
What about exams?
All course work and activities will halt for the duration of a Faculty Association strike, including exams held at ALC and in the Testing Centre. As soon as the strike begins, exams/quizzes will be cancelled in Clockwork for the remainder of the strike. Students who are instructed to complete exams during a strike are encouraged to contact their Dean’s office as these cannot proceed.
Please note that Clockwork will be turned off so that no further exams can be booked until classes resume after a strike. Students will receive an email about rebooking exams at that time.
Can I continue to meet with my support staff?
Yes, we encourage you to continue meeting with tutors and strategists, if these supports are currently in place. Support staff are also receiving an email letting them know that pairings are to continue. One exception is to avoid any tasks or activities perceived as instruction on future lessons, content, or objectives. With consideration for health and safety, meetings with support staff are to be held virtually at this time.
Where do I find current information about the potential strike and how it may affect me?
I need additional support. What resources are available?
We recognize that this is a stressful time. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our ALC team to discuss your accommodations or to discuss any additional support you may require. We want you to stay connected. We can also do referrals on your behalf to Counselling Services or the Health Centre, if needed. Please consider and encourage your peers to access the wellness resources found here.
Kind regards,
Dawn
Dawn Vickers | Manager, Accommodated Learning Centre| University of Lethbridge | Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada | T:403-329-2194 | E: [email protected]
Our University’s Blackfoot name is Iniskim, meaning Sacred Buffalo Stone. The University is located in traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. We honour the Blackfoot people and their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Aboriginal peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community.
If you would like to learn more about our services please visit https://www.uleth.ca/ALC where you will find a wealth of information and resources. Wellness links can be found by clicking the “Read More About Wellness” link in the centre of the main page.
We are able to respond to emails during regular business hours. During peak academic times, this may occur within two business days of your email.
Please contact [email protected] with any omissions or errors in our transcription.
CKXU has received the following Press Release from The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA)
Below is a transcription of the letter for Screenreaders
Transcription for Screenreaders
University of Lethbridge Board of Governors Withdraws Labour Board Application
The University of Lethbridge Administration has withdrawn its application to the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) for an urgent hearing and interim order to prevent the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) from going on strike this Thursday in the event the two sides are unable to reach a settlement.
The application was filed on Monday morning and withdrawn by the end of business that same day.
ULFA President Dan O’Donnell welcomed the news, indicating that the union had been prepared to defend itself against what he called “baseless allegations.”
“We have long said that our collective energies are much better spent trying to reach agreement at the table,” O’Donnell said. “We are grateful that the Administration has taken the afternoon to reconsider their position and withdraw their application.”
ULFA spokesperson and bargaining team member Joy Morris agreed. “We hope that this reflects a change in approach by the university administration,” he said. “After two years, the time for procedural games has passed. It is now time for the two sides to meet and try to find a route forward towards settlement.”
The two negotiating teams have met several times over the last week, including on Monday. They are scheduled to meet again Tuesday morning.
“In the end, this is about the students,” O’Donnell said. “It’s important that we work together to reach an agreement.”
— 30 —
Media Contact Dan O’Donnell ULFA President 403-393-2539 [email protected]
Please contact [email protected] with any omissions or errors in our transcription.
Initially Posted at 9:30 pm February 7, 2022. Updated at 9:45PM. Apologies this is late, we are hoping to provide more of a “daily recap” than an “instantaneous” news source Reports will be posted later in the evenings. Sunday’s information will be carried over to Monday’s report
Contents + TL:DR
The University of Lethbridge Board of Governors has withdrawn their request mentioned above.
Press Release Received by CKXU from ULFA. The strike vote passed with 87% of faculty voting. Picketing Could Begin As Early As Thursday, February 10th, 2022.
The University of Lethbridge Bargaining Page has been updated to alert the uLethbridge Community that ULFA has submitted a notice to strike. The University is expecting a prolonged strike. An email to update students on the strike was sent out.
ULFA has received notice of a hearing for the unfair labour practice complaint.
AUPE has sent CKXU a news release regarding the cancellation of their own bargaining session that was planned with the University of Lethbridge that was sent for tomorrow. This is the second time their meeting with the University has been cancelled, causing upset among AUPE members.
ULFA President Daniel O’Donnell has taken to twitter to share his views and insights on the current state of Post-Secondary Education (PSE) in Alberta.
CKXU will start interviewing organizations tomorrow! Staff are working overtime to get these reports and interviews completed and we appreciate your patience at this time.
UPDATE: University Administration has Withdrawn its Request to the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) for an “Urgent Hearing” and an “Interim Order.”
Internal ULFA Letter Sent Out Monday Night
Please see the photo below for information on the withdrawal:
University of Lethbridge Faculty Vote 92% in Favour of Strike.
Press Release Received by CKXU.
Earlier today CKXU received a Press Release from ULFA regarding the results of the Strike Vote. Below is an excerpt of the PSA:
University of Lethbridge faculty vote 92% in favour of strike
In a historic first, members of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) voted overwhelmingly to authorize strike action in labour negotiations with the University’s Board of Governors.
Picketing Could Begin As Early As Thursday, February 10th, 2022.
Following the Alberta Labour Relations Board’s release of an official tally (results of a vote), labour groups must wait 72 hours before the start of a strike. This 72-hour notice was started around the same time the press release was sent as the release stated the following:
ULFA can now call on its members to begin a strike with 72 hours notice. The union says that it will file the notice immediately, with pickets scheduled to begin Thursday morning, unless the two sides are able to reach a settlement before then.
Internal ULFA Email of the Strike Notice.
We received this email from a student at the University of Lethbridge. It was forwarded to them by a faculty member. This email (sent via Mailchimp) states that the notice to strike has in fact been served to the University of Lethbridge.
University of Lethbridge Board of Governors Applies for Lockout.
“The University Expects a Prolonged Strike.”
The University of Lethbridge Bargaining page has been updated. Below is an excerpt of the update under the heading “Faculty Association Strike Notice”:
The University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) has advised that its members will be on legal strike at 11 a.m., Thursday, February 10, 2022.
A strike will halt all academic instruction and research activities, and profoundly impact our students, employees, families, and community.
Students will have no classes or academic supervision during a strike.
The University expects a prolonged strike, which could threaten our semester. As one of Canada’s pre-eminent post-secondary learning and research institutions, we are duty-bound to protect our students’ interests and access to high-quality education.
The University hopes to proceed in a good-faith bargaining process that avoids strike action and leads to a fair and equitable agreement. We are concerned that recent positions taken by ULFA have been counterproductive to our ability to make progres
Board of Governors Applies for Lockout with Alberta Labour Relations Board.
Additionally, this update states that the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors has applied for a lockout.
In response to the strike notice, the University has also applied to the ALRB for a lockout, which would formally close University workplaces to ULFA members. A lockout ensures a safe and consistent approach to managing the impacts of job action across a large institution with multiple worksites.
The following email was sent to students to alert them to the Strike Notice.
We do not have a link for this email but did check with a volunteer who has a student email account that it was in fact sent (CKXU does not receive email updates from the University).
ULFA Alberta Labour Relations Board: Notice of Hearing.
ULFA Sent a Hearing Notice
The following Notice regarding complaint “GE-08666” was served to ULFA today from the Alberta Labour Relations Board. Below is a photo of the notice.
AUPE Bargaining Session with the University of Lethbridge Cancelled for the Second Time.
AUPE sent a news release to CKXU today regarding their own bargaining situation with the University of Lethbridge. Their bargaining session, which was scheduled for tomorrow (February 7th, 2022) has been cancelled. Here is an excerpt of the release:
Meanwhile, General Support Services workers at the university were told that bargaining for their new contract, which was scheduled for tomorrow (Tues., Fed. 8), was being cancelled. This is the second time in two weeks the employer has cancelled negotiations with short notice.
“AUPE says cancellation of talks with support staff has angered members.”
Additionally, the media release further goes provides context regarding the impact this cancellation is having on their members:
“The lack of respect shown by the employer to cancel at such short notice has frustrated and angered our members,” says Darren Graham, vice-president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), which represents about 500 university support workers.
“This is not the first time we’ve been treated this way, with numerous bargaining dates having been cancelled by the employer in the past. The university administration seems intent on treating its workers poorly, whether in faculty or in support services,” says Graham.
“That approach to bargaining explains why the university is facing labour unrest. The fact that ULFA was having a strike vote was not a surprise. We all knew it was coming. The result of that vote is no excuse to cancel our bargaining dates again.”
CKXU To Start Interviewing Organizations Tomorrow!
We are extremely excited to announce that we have secured interviews with a few organizations. We will begin interviewing tomorrow.
Please note that daily coverage on this level is not the usual situation for CKXU. Many of our staff are working overtime to research information for reports, draft questions for interviews, and record/ transcribe interviews for the public. We appreciate your patience with us at this time.
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CKXU is dedicated to providing equitable access to parties involved in Collective Bargaining Coverage and opportunities for community members to voice their opinons.
Below is a transcription of the letter for Screenreaders
Transcription for Screenreaders
February 5th, 2022
RE: UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COVERAGE EQUITABLE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY
Dear Members, Listeners, and University of Lethbridge Community:
CKXU 88.3 FM (CKXU) is beginning regular coverage of the collective bargaining situation taking place between the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors and the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association.
As a federally licensed Radio Station, we adhere to the Broadcasting Act. Section 3(1)(i)(iv) of this act states the following:
“The programming provided by the Canadian broadcasting system should … provide a reasonable opportunity for the public to be exposed to the expression of differing views on matters of public concern.”
In response to this Section of the Broadcasting Act, CKXU is dedicated to providing equitable access to our station for parties from whom we have contacted for comment on the situation at hand.
As such, CKXU has come up with the following guidelines to navigate our coverage on the collective bargaining situation and what we will be offering to all involved parties:
An interview opportunity with a series of curated questions. These questions will be sent ahead of time for the interviewee’s perusal.
Written updates on CKXU’s Collective Bargaining Information webpage.
Additional weekly on-air updates and summaries .
The option of a weekly official update from each group.
Feedback and questions from the local campus and community members.
CKXU as a media broadcaster believes that it is not our job to tell our listeners what to believe or think. Rather, we provide the community with relevant information on matters of public concern so that they may form their own opinions and thoughts.
As we state before every program, “these views are those of the individual Programmer and may not reflect those of the CKXU Radio Society or CKXU as a whole”. With this sentiment in mind, we recognize that individuals have the right to voice their opinions in manners that do not inhibit the rights of others.
While the Station as an entity will not take a stance or “side” on the situation, we will be providing a platform for our members, listeners, and University of Lethbridge community members to express their opinions on the collective bargaining situation. CKXU will curate opinions from all sides to add to both on and off-air coverage. Submissions can be sent to CKXU via our website.
We thank you all for your continued support of the CKXU Radio Society and our projects. Please contact Genna Bourchier at [email protected] for any comments, questions, or concerns regarding the contents of this letter.
In solidarity and understanding, THE CKXU RADIO SOCIETY
Per:
Genna Bourchier
Executive Director
Please contact [email protected] with any omissions or errors in our transcription.
