Reminder: Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. in DSU Council Chambers (second floor of the SUB) or via Zoom.
Thanks to all our work on the picket line and the solidarity of our allies, we have made strides in negotiations. We have had over 6000 people sign our petitions, dozens of other unions have joined us online or in person in solidarity, and over 450 members continue to walk our picket lines. The community, both of Halifax and the students of Dalhousie, have offered us support and that has helped us move forward.
This week in bargaining, Dalhousie’s Administration presented an offer that we countered with a proposal that matched the concerns and needs of our membership. In response, Dalhousie’s Administration presented a second offer nearly identical to the first. Most of the gains in Dalhousie’s Administration’s current offer will not take effect until September, 2023. Below is a breakdown of the two offers.
Offer Comparison
Part-Time Academics:
| # of courses | 2020 | 2021 | # of courses | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Our Offer | 0-7
8-19 20+ |
$10,777.92
$12,343.52 $13,103.66 |
$11,209.04
$12,837.26 $13,627.81 |
$11,993.67
$13,735.87 $14,581.75 |
$12,713.29
$14,560.02 $15,456.66 |
|
| Dal’s Offer (Nov. 3) | 0-7
8-19 20+ |
$10,594.80
$12,133.80 $12,881.03 |
$10,727.24
$12,285.47 $13,042.04 |
0-13 14+ |
$12,654.05 $14,133.30 |
$12,907.14 $14,415.96 |
Though the removal of the first tier is a win for those who have taught 0-7 and 14-19 courses, it leaves behind all other PTAs. They have simply averaged the wages for three tiers into two to try and divide PTAs, pitting them against each other.
In addition, there is almost no retro pay included for 2020 and 2021. This will result in less retro pay per class taught prior to this year for all PTAs.
| Year | 2020 | 2021 |
| Retro Pay Denied (per 6 credits) | $183-$222 | $481-$585 |
Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy, and Fountain School of Performing Arts:
| Role | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Our Offer | Nursing
DH PT/OT FSPA |
$34.32
$40.14 $45.22 $66.00 |
$45
$40.64 $45.78 $66.83 |
$47.90
$42.89 $48.18 $70.38 |
$48.85
$43.74 $49.15 $71.79 |
| Dal’s Offer (Nov. 3) | Nursing
DH PT/OT FSPA |
$34.32
$40.14 $45.22 $66.00 |
$45
$40.64 $45.78 $66.83 |
$47.90
$43.40 $48.70 $70.38 |
$48.85
$44.27 $49.68 $71.79 |
During negotiations, Dalhousie’s Administration exceeded our offer for Nursing, DH, PT/OT, and FSPA. We will be happy to match their wages with our next offer.
Pharmacy:
| 2022 | 2023 | |
| Our Offer | $51.00 | $52.02 |
| Dal’s Offer (Nov. 3) | $50.00 | $51.00 |
Between Wednesday and Thursday, Dalhousie’s Administration lowered their offer for Pharmacy, seemingly moving the money into other sections rather than raising the wage unilaterally. We retained the higher wage in our offer.
Teaching Assistants:
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Our Offer | $25.63 | $27.17 | $30.97 | $32.52 |
| Dal’s Offer | $24.72 | $25.02 | $28.61 | $30.05 |
Though Dalhousie’s Administration improved their offer this round, their maximum offer still does not reach the minimum our members requested in surveys, Q&As, and during bargaining meetings nor does it meet parity with the U15.
Markers/Demonstrators:
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Our Offer | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dal’s Offer | $16.82 | $17.03 | $22.43 | $23.55 |
Our offer was to remove the Marker/Demonstrator roles entirely to prevent the exploitation in these roles, which currently allows for responsibilities traditionally performed by TAs to be completed for 32% less an hour. The wages for Marker/Demonstrators need to be tied to TA wages so that the opportunity for exploitation is removed.
What Happens Next?
Special Membership Meeting – November 8th at 6:30 p.m.:
Leading up to the strike, we based our negotiation strategy and proposals on the responses of our membership to our surveys, discussions on the picket line, and online Q&As.
Now that we are three weeks into the strike and have completed the most recent rounds of bargaining, we will be holding a Special Membership Meeting (SMM) on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. in DSU Council Chambers (second floor of the SUB) or via Zoom to gauge current membership opinions and concerns on picketing and the bargaining process.
Survey:
We are currently developing a survey to gather electronic responses from our membership regarding how bargaining is currently going and how they want to proceed. This survey will be made available following the SMM on Tuesday.
Dalhousie has spent considerable resources trying to divide us and undercut our efforts. This shows that our actions are effective. Every meeting we have with the Dalhousie Negotiating Committee earns us more. While some members of our union may have reached what they wanted, we continue to push for those who have not. The meeting and the survey next week are your opportunity to have your voice heard again.
Dalhousie works because we do.