Message to BUFA Members: Money Matters

October 11, 2011

In the latest Statistics Canada data published by CAUT, the average salary at Brandon University (at all ranks) is greater than the following institutions : Ambrose University College, The Atlantic School of Theology, Canadian University College, Dominican University College, Redeemer University College, The King’s University College, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Cape Breton University, Concordia University College of Alberta, Huron University College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Luther College, University of St. Michael’s College, St. Francis Xavier University, University Saint-Paul, University of Northern British Columbia, Thompson Rivers University, Trinity Western University, Universite de Hearst, Universite de Moncton, Shippagan and Universite Sainte-Anne.

Note that virtually all of these institutions are University Colleges with religious affiliations. Brandon University, despite its early history as a Baptist college, is a publicly funded institution with no theological affiliation.

In April, the Provincial Government informed all the Manitoba Universities as well as UCN that they would receive a 5.4%increase each year in their operating grant for the next 3 years ( that is, for the entire duration of the collective agreement currently under negotiation). In addition, the Universities will receive tuition increases that are tied to a yearly inflationary calculation: 1% - 2011-12; 1.5% 2012-13 (the amount for 2012-13 is currently unavailable). When the University of Manitoba Faculty Association signed their Collective Agreement in September 2010 they did not know about the Provincial grant or the tuition increases; nor did the University of Winnipeg when they settled (after a strike vote) in March 2011. Both Agreements extend from April1, 2010 to March 31, 2013.

Another important issue for members to consider (when pondering the financial aspects of an agreement) is how the new CA will be affected by the inflation pattern in the province. It is important to note that, in 2009 (the year preceding the settlements at the U of M and the U of W), the Consumer Price Index for Manitoba was 0.9%. However, things have changed significantly since then, and the current CPI for Manitoba is 3.0%. Thus, the CPI for 2009-2010 was similar to the market crash of 2008: it was a one year period of slow growth. If we want to avoid the erosion of our take-home pay, BUFA maintains that we must insert a COLA proviso in the last years 2 and 3 of the agreement.

In our review of members’ salaries, we have identified some anomalies which can only be attributed to inequities in appointments. All appointments at Brandon University are subject to the final approval of the President and Board of Governors. BUFA maintains that the appointment procedures should be equitable and fair across all faculties. In some instances, however, salary differences have arisen because of the failure of our salary grid to attract doctorate-prepared candidates to come to Brandon. In some cases in which no doctorate-prepared candidate is available, the hiring of master’s-prepared candidates at the Assistant Professor rank has been accepted without question by the President and the Board of Governors. While in other cases, master’s-prepared candidates have been hired even when a qualified doctorate-prepared candidate is available.

There are other departments and faculties in which market factors have contributed to high turnover (2012-13 Estimates to COPSE). We have advised the Dean(s) and other administrators that if they are unable to find suitably qualified Canadian candidates, they may seek qualified candidates off-shore. The economic climate in the United States and the EU suggests that this is a more viable solution to the problem than introducing the disruptive effects of market supplements for new hires. This was the approach used by many Canadian Universities during the expansion period in the 1960s and 1970s. It was also used in the early 1990s when there was a massive student enrolment surge in Computer Science. In addition, the agreement on IA 4s will allow for higher salaries in the IA category and increased teaching power in the faculties. It is also evident from comparisons of salary scales at the four ranks that we are particularly unattractive at the Lecturer and Assistant Professor ranks. This can be addressed by examining the floors and increments in those ranks. The floors and ceilings at the end of the 2010-11 agreement in the Associate and Full Professor are more comparable with a number of other institutions. However, it is useful to note that one long term goal of the University of Winnipeg, Brandon University and l’Université de Saint-Boniface has been to achieve parity in salary grids with the University of Manitoba. In their latest round of bargaining, Winnipeg and St. Boniface achieved this goal.

At the bargaining table, the employer is determined to raise the research potential and output of the faculty. One of the most logical ways to encourage this is to provide more time for both professors and PAs to do this work. There are also a number of other financial initiatives that could be adopted to achieve this end. For example, at Athabasca University, every new professorial appointment can apply for research funding as part of the contract up to $15,000 per year for up to 3 years. Several other universities guarantee, over and above the PDA, $2,000 to support the presentation of scholarly and creative work at conferences, gallery shows, etc. Instead of providing direct research support to the scholars who need it to meet the employer’s new expectations, Brandon University wants to hire an Associate Vice-President (Research & Graduate Studies) at significant cost.

On pensions, BUFA has withdrawn two items after reviewing the costs that such improvements would entail. These improvements are of particular significance to our ever-increasing cohort of young faculty who now tend to be hired at an age that will never allow them to achieve the full pension under our current plan. Indeed, we have lost some very valuable young faculty to government jobs because of this situation. We have, therefore, requested a joint committee of administration and faculty to examine this matter and attempt to develop a plan to try to achieve real improvements over time. Many other universities have addressed the federal maximum pension guideline on a continual basis. Brandon University did not agree to do so until the last round of negotiations, and even then, we achieved only some improvement of the situation. As members’ salaries move ever upward, sooner or later more faculty will reach the new limit. Increasing our contributions will help somewhat in the valuation of the plan; the Canadian federal limit for contributions is 18% which the University of Manitoba Agreement will reach at the end of 2013, with the employer contributing 9% and the employee 9%.

Our position on Benefits remains the same and we have had no feedback from the employer on this issue.

Derek Brown, Joe Dolecki, Elizabeth Macdonald-Murray, Bill Paton, David Winter

BUFA Bargaining Team,

October 11, 2011