The University of Calgary’s support staff are searching for more funding, but the institution, operating at a loss of $6.1 million in the 2002–03 school year, is still in negotiations trying to meet those demands.
"The university is in difficult financial straits right now, thus every issue is considered very carefully," said U of C Human Resources Director Michael Kozielec in an interview on Mon. May 13. "[The negotiation process] is not done to disadvantage anyone, it’s done to make sure that we can agree to the best possible result given the resources that we have."
Successful negotiations will produce a new contract for the approximately 2,500 unionized university employees holding non-academic positions; positions such as food servers, lab and computer technicians, cleaning staff, and librarians. Their previous two-year contract expired on March 31, 2002.
"I’m sure [AUPE Local 52 Chair] Dan Tilleman would say we’re not at the top end of the compensation [pay] scale, but at the same time we’re not at the bottom end," said Kozielec. "We’re certainly competitive with other public sector organizations."
Tilleman disagrees.
"We’re spread too thin with the money that’s currently coming in," he said. "If you have X number of dollars to provide a service that is expanding and growing, and the demand is there from the community and students, how can you respond to that?"
The demands on support staff have increased together with enrollment and research at the school, but salaries and other monetary compensation for workers have not responded proportionally.
However, Tilleman said the problem goes beyond the university administration, and blamed a lack of funding from the Alberta government that spends less on students than both Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.
"People in Alberta should be appalled by that," said Tilleman.
Last year, the province gave the U of C a rebate for its utility costs. That $10.9 million was not available this year-one factor that put the school in debt, despite a $35 million increase in funding. Most of that money was targeted for sponsored research in medicine, engineering and science, forcing the school to spend more money on new research equipment, and limiting what the money can be used for.
Richard Roberts, U of C Associate Vice-President of Finance, said the school tried to cut costs by reducing most faculty budgets by two per cent, increasing parking rates and raising tuition by 3.7 per cent. Seventeen teaching posts and 60 support staff jobs were eliminated, contributing to the strain Tilleman said will lead employees to seek work elsewhere.
"Affordability and quality are two things that you always have to look at," he said. "Of course, they come with the available sources of funding, and the quality of staff you can retain with the funding offered."
Student’s Union Vice-President External Nick Vuckovic agrees increasing enrollment at U of C means the work done by support staff is in greater demand.
"[Administration] argues for a mandate of increasing quality, yet they want to diminish the services that are essential to students," said Vuckovic. "Overall, it just hurts the quality for the students."
Three days of talks last week between the union and university negotiation teams did not result in a final agreement. Talks are scheduled to resume at the end of May, after union negotiators have consulted with their executive.