Union blames provincial budget cuts for 26 job losses at U of C

The University of Calgary has axed 26 support staff positions in a move likely related to the provincial budget, a union official said Thursday.

The job cuts began Wednesday, said Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Local 052 chair Justin Huseby, who expects they won’t be the last.

“The 26 positions of support staff were terminated and we anticipate more,” said Huseby.

He said the positions were permanently “abolished,” with those let go responsible for such things as centralized communications and hosting internal and external events, said the union official.

“We lost some really good talent, some long-serving, some newer people … they were responsible for the university brand,” said Huseby, whose union represents 5,400 U of C support staff throughout the province.

Assurances the cuts aren’t related to the provincial budget unveiled Thursday ring hollow, he said, given their timing.

“I find that problematic … this administration doesn’t want to say that because they’re terrified of the government,” he said.

Support staff at the U of C are already suffering burnout and “losing more is going to hurt them and students as well,” said Huseby.

With the oil and gas sector still losing jobs, the public sector — including universities — supply an employment backstop that the UCP government is now undermining, he said.

“During hard times, now this government is taking the position we need fewer jobs,” said Huseby.

The 2019 provincial budget projects 764 fewer jobs at post-secondary institutions and government agencies by March 2020.

The budget aims to reduce operating expenses by 2.8 per cent over four years, while funding for universities and colleges is to fall by nearly seven per cent through 2022.

A tuition freeze enacted by the previous NDP government has been lifted, and institutions have also been told to find their own ways of raising revenues.

AUPE Local 052’s current threeyear collective agreement with the U of C expires March 31, 2020.

“Administration is not reaching out to us,” Huseby said of this week’s job cuts.

No one from the U of C commented on the position reductions.