In wake of budget cuts, U of L says striking faculty need to make concessions

“Since 2019/20, our provincial grant has been cut by more than 20%. We have lost $21M in annual provincial funding,” reads a portion of a statement from the Board.

Educators at the university have been without a contract for over 600 days as the most recent collective agreement expired in June 2020. Members of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) have been on strike for over two weeks now.

The Board continues to state that salaries for faculty members over the past decade’s collective agreement went up by 34 per cent.

“During mediation in January, the University offered ULFA members more: 3.25% raises, in addition to other raises faculty already receive for career progression and merit. As a result, the University and ULFA were within a 1% salary gap.”

Although the Board claims that the ULFA is asking for a 12 per cent raise, the ULFA says it follows several years of no increases.

Both sides have said numerous times recently that the other side has been unwilling to return to the bargaining table.

by David Opinko

In wake of budget cuts, U of L says striking faculty need to make concessions

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