The University of Saskatchewan plans to offer buyouts to some of its staff in an effort to find savings after a major provincial funding decrease announced in the March budget.
The buyouts are being offered to members of the Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association union.
The university’s interim provost and vice-president academic, Michael Atkinson, said the university received a 5.6 per cent funding reduction. He couldn’t say what the university’s budget deficit is at this stage but said it’s at least $8 million.
“The president had indicated in anticipation that we would look for voluntary programs before we actually began to lay people off,” Atkinson told CTV Saskatoon.
ASPA has 1,100 members and is a bargaining agent for a specific group of employees at the U of S. Its members include veterinarians, research officers, family doctors, coaches and other staff.
ASPA president, Peter Krebs, said the union is pleased with the way the university handled the situation and estimates around 70 members would take the buyout.
“We considered this carefully, we were given the opportunity to have input into how the agreement will be shaped, and very importantly, we were never asked to offer up any collective rights in return for this particular measure,” Krebs said.
Those who wish to take the buyout must leave their jobs by January 31, 2018. A memo regarding the buyouts obtained by CTV Saskatoon said staff salaries and benefits make up 70 per cent of the university's operating costs.
It also said the university has not been able to reach an agreement when it comes to buyouts for staff represented by CUPE 1975. The memo states CUPE wants a guarantee that services would not be contracted out.
Atkinson says the university hopes to reach an agreement with CUPE and says there’s an accelerated retirement program in place for other faculty who wish to use it.
