'Clearly there is room for savings': Canadian Taxpayers Federation calls for post-secondary staff to share in financial burden
A new report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) highlighted pay hikes at Alberta's post-secondary schools during the most recent economic downturn.
The report found that more than 11,500 post-secondary employees from across the province got a raise in 2020 which came with a total price tag of more than $29.2M.
"That doesn't reflect the fiscal reality facing Albertans and that means a higher tax bill for families, and that means a higher tuition bill for students," said the CTF Alberta director Franco Terrazzano.
"Let's not forget that Albertans have been struggling through a downturn for about five plus years. It's not just COVID, so why are they still handing out pay raises?"
The University of Lethbridge gave raises to 563 employees last year which totaled $1.37M.
Since 2016, nearly $9.5M in pay hikes has been awarded to faculty members at the U of L.
'ROOM FOR SAVINGS'
At the University of Calgary, more than $10.5M spread out among 4,352 staff members who saw their salaries bumped up in 2020 alone.
"Clearly there is room for savings and the government is right to be pushing universities and colleges across the province to save some money," said Terrazzano.
"The government should also be pushing the employees at universities and colleges to share in the burden and take a pay cut."
The University of Calgary is proposing to jack up tuition for certain programs by as much as 32 per cent.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
At the University of Lethbridge, tuition increases aren't expected to be quite as dramatic, hovering around the seven per cent mark in the coming year.
But, U of L officials said easing the financial burden on students isn't as simple as handing down pay cuts to staff.
"Any increase in pay union employees may have received has been done so through collective bargaining. The U of L Board of Governors is currently bargaining with the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) on new agreements," said the University of Lethbridge in a statement.
"The board negotiating team’s goal is to arrive at an agreement that reflects the fiscal realities of the province and allows the U of L to be financially sustainable for the future."
Non-bargaining employees on the U of L campus make up 24 per cent of the university's total staff and none have received a raise since 2016.
The University of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU) highlighted the difficulty in addressing the finical pinch without sacrificing the quality of students' education.
"To cut salaries would be to minimalize what students are actually experiencing. The budget cuts we're facing, the fact that we've seen a reduction of over 15 per cent of our overall budget in three years, that has to sadly be made up somewhere," said ULSU V.P. External Ryan Lindblad.
"The reality is most of that gets put on students in the form of tuition increases. I don't think it's necessarily possible to share the burden equally and that's why the student voice needs to be paramount."
MORE EQUITABLE SYSTEM
Lindblad said what he wants to see is tuition rates tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to allow for a more equitable system.
He said the responsibility falls on the provincial government to address the issues and not the university.
"I don't agree with the connotation that the upper administration is trying to wring every last penny for their own pockets. I think some of that could be a little bit misleading to the budgetary reality that the university actually faces."
The University of Alberta handed out more than $11.7M in raises for 2020 which was the most given out province-wide.
In total, more than $29.2M in salary hikes was awarded to post-secondary employees last year across all of Alberta.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.