Graduate Labour Union
Overview
Who We Are
In accordance with the Post-Secondary Learning Act and the Labour Relations Code of the Province of Alberta, the Athabasca University Graduate Students’ Association has the exclusive authority, on behalf of Graduate Student, to negotiate and enter into an agreement with The Governors of Athabasca University with respect to the academic employment of Graduate Students as Graduate Assistants.
The Graduate Labour Union is the union that represents these students and provides them with essential information about their rights as academically employed graduate students. The Union acts upon the wishes of academically-employed graduate students in collective bargaining and representings academically employed graduate students when and where needed.
Elections Update
Elections are scheduled for January through March 2025 in accordance with the timeline for AUGSA elections for the following positions:
- Labour Relations Representative (Chair)
- Labour Relations Committee Members (up to 4)
Please follow the elections updates through our newsletter and website for updated information in January 2025.
Labour Relations Committee
The Labour Relations Representative (LRR) is an elected graduate student representative on behalf of academically employed graduate students and shall be responsible for:
- Acting as Chair of the GSA Labour Relations Committee (LRC); and
- Acting as chief negotiator of the Collective Agreement (CA) with the University.
The LRR and fellow LRC committee members are academically employed graduate students at the time of their election or have been academically employed within the preceding academic year.
The GSA LRC includes:
- The Labour Relations Representative (LRR), as Chair.
- A minimum of two (2) and up to four (4) voting members who are academically employed graduate students at the time of their election. To ensure a diversity of viewpoints, no more than one (1) member will be from a given faculty.
- One (1) member of the GSA Council.
The GSA LRC meets at least twice a year and provides reports to academically employed graduate students, and to AUGSA Council for information. The LRC forms the Negotiation Committee when bargaining; however, the Negotiation Committee consists of a maximum of four (4) members.
To view the remuneration associated to the elected positions, please review the Labour Relations Remuneration Policy.
Role Descriptions
*Role descriptions are updated annually no later than the second Monday in January.
Collective Agreement
Graduate students employed as Graduate Assistants at Athabasca University are governed by a Collective Agreement in place between the Athabasca University Graduate Students' Association (AUGSA) and Athabasca University.
Finance and Operations
The Graduate Labour Union collects a 1% union due from your earnings as a Graduate Assistant (distinct from the GSA membership fee).
Union dues collected are held in a restricted GSA Labour Union Fund and used solely to support the GSA’s activities pursuant to the Labour Relations Code on behalf of academically employed graduated students, including collective bargaining and representation of academically employed graduate students.
With the Graduate Labour Union forming in 2025, financial documents will be made available here, including the 2025-2026 budget and quarterly financial statements.