January 9th: Update to Membership
Happy New Year and Welcome Back Everyone!
I just want to take a minute to welcome everyone back to the winter semester. But I also want to take a moment to thank everyone who took the time to participate in the bargaining survey. While I don’t want to reveal too much in this open letter, it’s important to acknowledge a few key items.
First, the level of participation in the survey was beyond expectations. While 100% participation is not a realistic goal, any survey needs a good sample size to be effective and to provide a representation of the majority’s interests. SAFA members definitely came through and, as a result, your bargaining committee has a good understanding of your priorities going forward. Again, in the interest of discretion at this pre-bargaining stage, this message won’t go into detail; however, I can provide some insight into the survey results.
The number one priority, which likely comes as no surprise, is an increase in wages. The percentage varied from individuals and between the different schools, but the message is clear that this upcoming bargaining session is primarily about increasing wages to not only combat the substantial rise in the cost of living, but also to make up for lost ground over the last decade.
The other priority relayed through the survey was job security, specifically a clear path to full-time permanent status. While this is not a concern for our current FT faculty members, it is of high priority for those who have spent too long as casual contract faculty. This has also always been a priority for your bargaining committee. Professionals should not be working in the gig economy.
Also offered in the survey was a nearly universal sense that workload and class sizes continue to grow, which is impacting student experience and faculty work-life balance. This is an issue that SAFA continues to monitor and will address during bargaining.
Once again, thanks to all those who participated. It is extremely important to have your input to help us formulate our bargaining proposals. However, feel free to offer more insight and information for the next couple of months via email as we begin to ramp up for bargaining.
Welcome back and have a great winter semester.
Craig Coolahan,
Labour Relations Officer, SAFA
ICYMI: SAIT Operational Updates
In Case You Missed It… here are the SAIT operational and employee services updates that came out at the end of last year:
- SAFA, AUPE, and SAIT have been diligently working to enhance the vision, hearing aid, and mental health coverage available to employees. We are now happy to announce that coverage for the following benefits has been increased as of January 1, 2024. See SAITNow for more information.
- Vision (prescription glasses/lenses) – purchase and fitting of prescription glasses or elective contact lenses, as well as repairs, to a maximum of $400 per 24 months for persons aged 18 and over (coverage for persons under age 18 remains unchanged)
- Hearing Aids – coverage will increase to $2000 per 60 months. This includes cost, installation, repair, and maintenance of Hearing Aids (including batteries)
- Mental Health Practitioners – coverage will increase to $3000 per Benefit year. Mental Health Practitioners include Clinical Counsellors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Psychoanalysts, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Social Workers (MSW) only.
- New Perk Alert – SAIT employees can use a new discount for Broadway Across Canada shows. Visit this link for more information.
- Starting this January, some casual and adjunct employees will see a change in their pay periods to a standardized semi-monthly pay. Learn more on SAITNow.
- The Mid-Semester Break Discovery Project team has announced that additional breaks will be phased in, starting in Fall 2024. More information about this change is available on SAITNow. If you have concerns or questions about schedule and workload impacts, now is the time to speak to your Associate Dean or a project team representative.
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