CALGARY – Albertans considering making donations to SAIT’s fund-raising program should be aware of the way the Calgary educational institution is treating its own employees, says the president of Alberta’s largest union.

"The optics are extremely bad for a major institution to treat its staff so callously at the same time as it is raising funds and engaging in a major building program," said Alberta Union of Provincial Employees President Dan MacLennan.

One of the important missions of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology is to train trades people such as electricians, millwrights, plumbers and painters, MacLennan noted. "What kind of a message is SAIT sending its own students when it abolishes the jobs of long-term trades and maintenance employees?" MacLennan asked.

According to media reports, SAIT claims the layoff of 42 AUPE members was "purely a financial decision" that will save $1 million a year to be "put back into the students." AUPE members on campus have heard more layoffs are to come.

"I doubt students will see any benefits," MacLennan said. "Contract workers cost money too, and our experience is that the savings from these kind of actions are illusory. Higher costs are incurred, not to mention the money spent putting employees out of work."

SAIT has also tried to claim that since its current expansion financing is project oriented, and because of the downturn in the global economy and a shortfall in government financing, it shouldn’t be held responsible for its $4-million budget shortfall this year, MacLennan noted.

"That dog won’t hunt. This whole exercise smacks of making SAIT’s loyal employees pay for the administration’s mishandling of the budget process," he said.

"We do believe that government should finance educational institutions adequately," MacLennan added. "But this shortsighted and ill-conceived decision belongs to SAIT’s administration.

"This will be the same administration that decides how to use funds people donate to SAIT’s five-year, $80-million fund-raising campaign," he said. "Many of the employees who received abolishment notices this week had actively supported SAIT fund-raising efforts throughout their careers."

Less than two weeks before the layoffs were announced, SAIT published a newsletter that boasted that SAIT’s employees would be the reason the institution achieves its vision. "It’s offensive to make these kinds of statements, to continue to build and fund-raise, and then turn around a few days later and victimize the same people they were speaking of," MacLennan stated.

Fortunately, MacLennan said, AUPE negotiated increased compensation for laid-off SAIT employees in its last contract negotiations.

"These employees’ jobs should never have been abolished, but since SAIT has decided to make this bad decision, we’re glad their bargaining team looked to their well-being in this event in the last negotiations," he said.

"SAIT can be certain we will be looking to increase protection for our members in the next contract," he said.

MacLennan said the union will attempt to assist these employees to find work at other sites organized by AUPE in the Calgary area. "These facilities will then be the beneficiaries of these good trades and maintenance staff."


For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-910-8392 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)

Back to Releases