The WLUFA AGM held on April 16 saw a large majority of members voting in favour of a dues increase from the current 0.95% to 1.1%, beginning on this coming July 1. The increase will be an interim measure, put in place to increase Association reserves to $1.5 million (in 2019 dollars) over the next few years.
As was made clear to the members attending the AGM, once that target is met, dues will be returned to the current 0.95% rate as of the July 1 following the meeting of the threshold.
David Monod, President of WLUFA, explained that increased demands for member services related to grievances and internal disputes, as well as the legal fees that accompany these, and the increased need for – and rising cost of – mediation and arbitration are some of the key factors affecting the need to strengthen WLUFA’s financial foundations.
Additionally, Monod noted the effect of a current political climate that may make future bargaining of collective agreements more contentious than it has been in the past. In Monod’s words, “the best way to prevent a labour stoppage is to demonstrate to our employer that we are strong enough and united enough to sustain one”.
WLUFA Treasurer, Jim Gerlach, presented information on dues paid province-wide by other faculty associations and assured the membership that WLUFA – even with the interim increase – is still well within the provincial norm.