U of L students, faculty return to class Wednesday after collective agreement ratified

University of Lethbridge. (File photo)

Staff and students at University of Lethbridge will return to classrooms on Wednesday after a collective agreement was ratified by the faculty association.

The university and faculty association entered into mediation and on Monday,  91 per cent of faculty members voted in favour of a new collective agreement.

“I’m just happy and relieved that something was finally signed and agreed to,” said University of Lethbridge Students' Union president Holly Kletke.

Faculty members had been without a contract for 629 days.

The new agreement, which required assistance from the Alberta government, will see a 3.25 per cent salary increase for faculty members and academic assistants.

“We did manage to get much more significant raises for our more vulnerable groups, so an eight per cent raise for both ranks of sessional instructors, a 10 per cent raise to the (salaries) and I believe, certainly a raise to the caps for instructors and a two per cent raise for our lowest ranked members of the professoriate and librarians,” said Dan O’Donnell, president of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association.

However, O’Donnell says it wasn’t everything they asked for.

“It is not what we would want to see in terms of finances, I think, largely because of truly extreme meddling in the negotiating process on the part of the provincial government, but it is largely in fact, in line with other collective agreements that we have seen in the sector, which is in fact what we wanted to see 45 to 50 days ago,” he said.

The university released a statement on Tuesday.

"It offers fair and reasonable raises and benefits to our colleagues, while ensuring access to high-quality education and protecting the university’s long-term sustainability," it read, referencing the agreement.

As a result of the job action, the university has said classes for the spring term will be extended and end on May 5.

Classes that were taught online before the strike will remain online, including exams.

O’Donnell says he's pleased a deal was made, but is frustrated it took so long.

“Four or five weeks of not talking and then the time that we pretty much sat down to do it, it took four days and we were done," he said.  

"I think that that should cause reflection on the part of, certainly the board of governors if this is the way that a public research institution should be run."

Kletke says students want to see flexibility with the remainder of the semester.          

“There are no changes to course outlines and or assessment of student learning can disadvantage the students, so this will be key in returning (to class),” she said.

As students head back to class on Wednesday, Kletke says rebuilding and reinstating the trust among the school will be key.

“What I would like to see as the president of the ULSU and what I’m confident what we will see is a rebuild of trust and the rebuilding of the campus community that we all love and it's going to take all of us,” said Kletke.

Classes are set to resume at 8 a.m. on Wednesday