Frustration grows over U of L faculty strike

Members of the U of L's faculty were walking the picket lines Friday and leaders say the school's board is unwilling to make a bargain.

LETHBRIDGE — Despite the cooler temperatures, University of Lethbridge faculty members were back on the picket line today for the eighth straight day.

Over the past week, the U of L faculty association (ULFA) has reached out to the board of governors to go back to the bargaining table but says they aren’t responding.

“We’ve invited them to meet and discuss (a new deal), they said they didn’t feel like it was necessary. We wrote to them again, I believe two days ago, saying how about today, Friday morning, and we're told they also don't see that it’s necessary,” said Dan O’Donnell, president of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association.

ULFA says they have sent in new offers to the U of L board of governors, but the two groups haven’t been able to come to an agreement.

“We actually sent them articles, proposal articles for discussion, we've signalled areas where we're flexible and willing to compromise. We're looking to get a deal and get this settled, but we haven't seen that reciprocated,” said Locke Spencer, lead negotiator for ULFA.

Under ULFA’s latest offer, faculty would not see an increase in the first two years of the contract. They’d receive a 1.25 per cent raise in year three, 1.5 per cent in year four, with the possibility of an extra 0.5 per cent.

“Also included in that is a one time increase of pay of $2,600 recognizing the erosion we've seen over the past years in compensation and also recognizing that, that kind of better approves things for people at the lower end of the pay scale than those at the top,” said Spencer.

Faculty members went on strike on Feb. 10, resulting in classes being cancelled for the time being, which is having an effect on some students.

In a statement from the U of L, it reads in part:

The university is committed to a collective agreement that meets our primary responsibility to offer students top-quality education and programming while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the institution.

Faculty salaries at the University of Lethbridge have risen 34 per cent in the last decade. We also have to reconcile any new faculty increases with the needs of our non-academic staff, many of whose salaries have been frozen since 2015.

The statement goes on to say, “current offers from the faculty association do not allow us to meet our goals for sustainability and quality education for students.”

A solidarity rally was held on Friday, featuring guest speakers, speeches and open mic performances. Roughly 150 faculty members, students and community members attended.

O’Donnell says faculty members will remain on the picket line until an agreement is reached.

“There's only so much you can do. One side can show up at the table, but unless the other side is there, we don't get a settlement,” said O’Donnell.

The ULFA says on average, strikes in the post-secondary sector tend to last approximatively 21 days.

Faculty have been without a contract for nearly two years.