Opinion: UNBC Faculty Association

- You don't get what you don't ask for -

Twenty five years ago, residents of northern BC decided to take their futures into their own hands by demanding a northern university. They asked. They received. And in that time your university has achieved a stellar reputation, with a #2 ranking in Canada according to Maclean's magazine. UNBC has provided careers to students throughout BC, as well as innovations to northern businesses.

- You get what you pay for -

Unfortunately, due to previous rounds of poorly-considered contract negotiations, UNBC now has a broken salary structure in which our most senior and most talented faculty are working at up to a 25% discount relative to their colleagues at similar universities. As any businessperson will tell you, you can't hire high-quality staff by offering below-basement salaries.

What contractor would work for 25 per cent below market? What electrician? And if you found someone at that rate, would you trust you were getting good value?

Why should good professors with good options be asked to accept a deal that you wouldn't take?

Up to now, UNBC faculty have accepted this salary structure out of loyalty to the institution and out of enthusiasm to be part of a Canada's newest research university. Now, however, UNBC is indeed at a crossroads. It is no longer sustainable to pay bottom-of-the-market rates to our most innovative professors. As they leave for places like Thunder Bay and Alaska, the university will hire replacements. It's simply a question of what kind of replacements you will get if you are asking your senior employees to donate 25 per cent of their wages to cafeteria renovation and 25th anniversary banners.

The UNBC Faculty Association is not asking for an across-the-board salary increase. In fact, several members of the negotiating team would get no increase at all. Nor would many UNBC faculty. We are simply asking to fix a broken structure - that is, to remap salaries - so that we don't drive away our greatest assets.

Furthermore, the FA is not asking to bring your university's salaries into the top of the salary scale. We're not even asking to be average. We would be completely satisfied reaching the bottom third of what comparable Canadian universities pay. We just don't want to be so far below the bottom.

- UNBC needs to re-order its priorities -

Your university's house has cracks in its foundation. Instead of repairing these cracks, the administration is responding by getting new drapes: $1.25 million on the 25th anniversary celebrations, a $2 million cafeteria renovation, more on dorm renovations. Independent arbitrator Vince Ready pointed out in last year's report that UNBC has the money to pay their faculty thanks to multi-million dollar operating surpluses for nearly a decade. The administration just need to decide it is a priority. Your university needs a complete overhaul of faculty salaries to ensure that the exceptional talent that exists at UNBC remains at UNBC.

You and your children deserve a top-quality education that leads to great careers. Our alumni deserve that their degrees should maintain their value. Your university can only provide this by paying market rates for the highly-trained professionals and scholars who work there. We ask you to show your support for a top-ranked UNBC by joining us at a rally on Saturday at noon outside the Prince George courthouse.