Bargaining Update #2

Hello AUPE Local 038 Members! 

Your Bargaining Committee continues to meet with the employer, exchanging proposals and having a fulsome discussion around the Articles and Letter of Understanding in the Collective Agreement. Since our last update, we have met for bargaining sessions on October 30-31, November 5-6, and November 15, 2024.  

On October 30th, NAIT presented their monetary offer. It was as follows: 

July 1, 2024 – 2% 
July 1, 2025 – 2%
July 1, 2026 – 1.75% 
July 1, 2027 – 1.75% 

We will be working to create the grids with these proposals for all of the classifications so you may see the impact on you. 

While your Bargaining Committee is not surprised by this offer, we are disappointed. We are not surprised as it is the exact same offer across the province. The Government has taken a position in directing bargaining through their Provincial Bargaining and Compensation Office, as this mandate comes from that office.  

We are disappointed with this offer as it does not reflect the economic realities you, the membership, are facing. It does not respect the value of the essential labour you provide to make NAIT successful. We remain committed to finding a deal that is fair to you. 

While the monetary proposal of NAIT is disappointing, we continue to work on meaningful language improvements for you, the members, as highlighted in the bargaining survey conducted at the beginning of the bargaining. We have had some very important discussions regarding Workload and Cover Offs for folks who are away. We have had meaningful discussions around Disability and Wellness in the Workplace and Special Leave and have tabled our proposal for Classification. We have shared the stories we are allowed to share without identifying anyone or departments to reinforce our ask for this language. We have arrived at some more articles being signed off as a result of the last few meetings: Position Opportunities, Hours of Work, Modified or Averaging Agreements and Tools, Uniforms and Protective Equipment.  

In a previous NAIT update, they spoke about the various buckets that they break bargaining down into (Substantial, housekeeping, monetary, and non-monetary). AUPE does use a similar approach in bargaining; however, we see the Collective Agreement as a single and wholesome document. When bargaining the non-monetary, we do not lose sight of what the monetary proposal is.  

We can share that one of NAIT’s substantive proposals is language in the Annual Vacation Leave article. We heard your concerns and where you prioritized your position on this article, which is why we proposed that it remain the current language. Their current summarized position, as communicated by NAIT on September 17, 2024, is a significant decrease in the number of days you may bank. We feel it’s distasteful that they are asking for a 3.84% rollback in your rights. 

Many of our ongoing proposals do have elements of monetary asks in them. While we have worked on language improvements until we arrive at the point where the hard discussion around monetary takes place, those articles remain unsigned. 

While it appears that it will be a lengthy process to arrive at a collective agreement to present to you for ratification, there are things we can do to fight for the best deal we can achieve. When notice is provided that other AUPE Locals or other Unions or Staff Associations are hosting pickets or rallies, please attend if you are able. We are stronger together, and a united voice is what is going to be required to achieve a successful round of bargaining.  

Members of your bargaining committee were present in E103 on November 20 during our membership information update (Free Donut Day). Thank you to all who attended this event and updated your information.  

Your Bargaining Committee met on February 11, 2025; the Bargaining Committee met with our new negotiator (Scott Drake) to go over the concerns of our members. The Committee is working on strategies moving forward, and setting dates to meet with our employer to exchange further discussions on the Articles and Letters of Understanding in the Collective Agreement.  

Keep an eye out for the new dates to pick up your Red Shirts to show your support for bargaining.  

In solidarity, 

Your AUPE Local 038 Bargaining Committee 

Michael Johnson 
Ray Walmsley 
Roxanna Sidorchuk 
Aline Robertson 
Andrea Klymchuk 
Oleksandr Sukhorukov 
Emily Devereux 
Lindsey Van Sloten 
Shahveer Ratnagar