This page is dedicated to providing updates on bargaining between ULethbridge and the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA). Updates will be added once they become available.
Current Collective Agreement Expiry Date: June 30, 2024
Recent Updates
The Board’s Negotiating Team and ULFA met on April 22, 2024, and began the process for negotiating a renewal of the Collective Agreement covering the Academic Staff’s terms and conditions of employment. A bargaining protocol was settled with a timeline for identifying the items that will be opened for negotiation and the exchange of proposals. It is clear we all share an interest in ensuring the interests of all the stakeholders in our community are fairly and reasonably addressed.
We will be meeting on May 21 and 22, 2024, and look forward to open and candid discussions.
On Thursday March 28, 2024, the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors received a notice to bargain from the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA). As part of the collective bargaining process, the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors has now officially responded to ULFA and asked for suggestions for opening dates to begin discussions.
Arriving at a new collective agreement that supports the work of our faculty and allows the University of Lethbridge to thrive as one of Canada’s leading academic and research institutions is our primary objective. The University Board is committed to negotiate in a positive, constructive and transparent manner.
Our university community understands that an agreement will only occur when meaningful dialogue occurs between parties. The Board negotiating team believes that there is nothing that can’t be resolved through mutual hard work and honest conversations at the bargaining table.
The U of L has undergone historic leadership renewal since the ratification of the current agreement and they bring a renewed commitment to arriving at a deal with a focus on shared interests.
As this campus community knows too well, the last round of bargaining was extremely difficult and led to a labour disruption. Late in that process the Board added Dwayne Chomyn to its bargaining team, and he was critical to reaching an agreement. Through that experience, the Board learned the value of drawing upon an experienced labour relations professional to bring a steady, constructive, and productive approach to bargaining discussion. For that reason, the Board has communicated to ULFA that Dwayne will serve as chief spokesperson for the Board negotiating team throughout this round of bargaining.
As progress is made in this current round of negotiations, the University will share updates with the community as part of its commitment to transparency. These can be found on the labour relations section of the new Human Resources website that was recently launched.