AUPE members, NAIT, fail to reach collective agreement after three days of mediation
EDMONTON – Three days of mediation between members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees and their employer, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, have failed to produce a new collective agreement.
The two sides remain far apart on several monetary issues, including salary rates of pay, incremental adjustments and retention bonuses.
“NAIT refuses to offer its employees a compensation package that is fair and reflects the strong economic conditions that currently affect all Albertans,” said John Wevers, AUPE Staff Negotiator who led the Local 038 bargaining committee.
“To date, NAIT has yet to propose a settlement that even comes close to keeping pace with the cost of living, or the increasing inflation rate.”
The union has proposed a three-year collective agreement with a 5% wage increase in each year. NAIT has shown little flexibility from its initial offer, and continues to propose wage increases of 4% per year, also over a three-year term.
“Post-secondary institutes across the province are increasing student tuition by 4.6%, based on average annual cost-of-living increases,” explained Wevers.
“Universities, colleges and technical institutes are quick to recognize and apply cost-of-living increases for its students, when it benefits their coffers, but it refuses to use the same economic methodology when bargaining with its own employees.”
Other important issues that NAIT refuses to address include:
- Implementation of an additional pay grid
- Improvements to Shift Differential and Weekend Shift Premiums
- Implementation of a Flexible Health Benefits Spending Account ($500 a year, per employee), common language now found in numerous collective agreements
- Improvements to the Employee Training Fund
The employer walked away from the bargaining table last October, eventually leading to the three days of unsuccessful mediation. The union will now apply for compulsory interest arbitration.
The current collective agreement expired on June 30, 2007.
AUPE Local 038 represents more than 1,000 general support staff employees who work at NAIT’s main Edmonton campus and its satellite campuses in communities throughout northern Alberta.
For additional information, contact:
John Wevers, Staff Negotiator, AUPE, (780) 930-3349 (office) or (780) 232-9820 (cellular)
Scott Pattison, Communications Officer, AUPE, (780) 930-3406