Good afternoon faculty,
I hope that those that took some time for vacation in July or August got some well-deserved time off, rest and relaxation, and for those taking the fall off take some time to refresh the batteries. The summer work for SAFA was not quite as heavy as in the past, but with year-round programs there is always something to address. Its always great to see familiar faces in the fall and to meet new faculty, so watch for town hall dates coming soon.
Its been quite a summer in Calgary this year, warm temps, water restrains and of course the summer chaos of road construction and the cut off of funding for the green line, for myself it was fun entertaining two grand nephews (7 and 10) with all my “how not to catch a fish “ wisdom, but fun none the less as I always fly a “Jolly Rodger” pirate flag when they are in the boat.
On to some news – the bargaining teams (SAIT and SAFA) will reconvene after the summer break starting this week on Wednesday. The two sides are still very far apart, and I expect the back-and-forth conversation between the teams will continue through September and October.
It would seem this year (May to present) has seen more organized Labour movements (unions having to threaten employers with job action) than in the recent past. While it is typically the big three auto manufacturers that lead the way in Labour disputes, its interesting to see the outcomes from WestJet, Air Canada, CN Rail and CP Rail, Canadian border security workers. While these unions have had some big asks (30-40% pay increases), that is not what is happening in the post-secondary sector in Alberta. (No, there will be no new Corvettes or pickups parked in our members’ driveways.) So, time will tell how the summer events impact us at the bargaining table.
Some additional thoughts and gentle reminders for this next academic year: as some contemplate the end of their careers here at SAIT, we shifted how vacation was handled at the end of the pandemic, so your full vacation amount is deposited every July 1st for that academic year. Having said that, if you took your 43 days of vacation in July and August and plan to leave your employment with SAIT in December, you would owe the unearned portion of that vacation back to the employer. Contact Employee Services or the SAFA office if you have questions about this topic.
Also, as mentioned in last’s weeks email – if your workload assignment (see Section 36 of the Collective Agreement) doesn’t seem right to you or it seems unreasonable then consult the Workload Guidelines document and reach out to SAFA with any questions.
Looking forward to a great fall semester and wishing everyone “welcome back”.
Always in solidarity with membership,
Blair Howes
SAFA President