The University of Saskatchewan Faculty Association reached agreement March 22 with the university on a four-year contract deal, after working without one for almost two years.

The agreement stipulates a two-year retro contract for 2005–2007 and a new contract for the next two years that runs to June 30, 2009.

The agreement provides average salary increases of 3.62 per cent for each year of the plan and a series of salary grid reforms that will remove steps from each rank and reduce the slope from floor to ceiling. All told, the new agreements will see salary increases that range from 23.3 per cent for junior assistant professors to 10.07 per cent for senior full professors and see all faculty granted significantly enhanced lifetime earnings. The deal also provides for a .5 per cent increase in employer contributions to the pension plan (to be matched by employees) and increases in other benefits.

As on so many campuses, workload was another breaking point between the faculty and administration. Among the stipulations of the new contract are workload guidelines that will enable academic departments to assign duties more equitably and provide a benchmark for total workload within the department.

USFA chief negotiator Tim Quigley said the new contract “tracks pretty close” to the union’s proposals, but other issues remain a concern.

“There was a conflict over equity,” Quigley said. “The employer wanted to replace exiting equity language with a vaguely-worded ‘diversity’ strategy that was devoid of concrete measures. Bargaining was fierce on this contract issue and we were successful in preserving the status quo. We did try and negotiate improved language, but we weren’t getting anywhere.”

As a result, Quigley said, the union will need to look at the grievance process as a venue to move forward on both pay equity and employment equity.

The agreement is contingent on ratification by the members of the union and the university board of governors.