About the Union
Advocating for you in your workplace.
Union Mandate
Our mandate as a union comes from you, the members. As a committee we do everything in our power to ensure your voice is heard and you are empowered in the workplace. This starts with hearing from you. Please speak up, contact one of our committee members if you are having a problem. We are here to do the work, you just have to give us the job.
Labour Law
As a union, we came into existence when the Post Secondary Learning Act (see 95(2)(f.1)) was amended in 2017. This amendment names the graduate students association as the bargaining agent for academically employed graduate students. The government of the time provided some guidelines for how this would look, which is now repealed. The union bylaws were filed in accordance with and approved by the Labour Relations Board of Alberta in May of 2018.
Join the Team
We are searching for stewards and additional ULGA committee members. If interested, please get in touch by emailing gsa.labour@uleth.ca
Stewards and committee members must be academically employed graduate students at the University of Lethbridge. The ULGA committee currently meets on a biweekly schedule, and Stewards are required on an ad hoc basis and report to the chief steward — a member of the ULGA committee.
Why you should join the team:
Getting involved in your union is great experience for a future career. About 30% of workers in Canada are unionized and many professions work within professional associations which bargain a collective agreement. Participating in the formation of a collective agreement is a valuable way to comprehensively understand your rights and to advocate for your fellow workers. Whether you sign on as a steward or committee member, it is a flexible position with low additional workload.
ULGA Committee
The ULGA committee is made up of fellow academically employed graduate students responsible for bargaining the collective agreement and managing union affairs.
The current ULGA committee membership includes:
Stewards Network
There is a network of stewards across campus who act as the first point of contact in the workplace. Stewards are the face of the union within the workplace and ensure the collective agreement between workers and the employer is enforced. Along with the committee, stewards are available for help with disagreements with the employer. If you would like to become a steward within your department, please contact gsa.labour@uleth.ca
For more information, please visit our Stewards page.
PSAC – Public Service Alliance of Canada
In the summer of 2021 the ULGA committee was approached by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), one of Canada’s largest federal unions, to enter a service agreement. Legislation still prohibits graduate workers to join outside unions, but services can be provided and paid for. Thus, the PSAC is providing us direct representation through a Regional Representative, a professional Negotiator, access to a legal team, and the PSAC strike fund.
For more information please check our PSAC page.
A Thank you to Previous Committee members
Lauren Zink
Tyler Stewart
Nick Stark
Rachel Stark
ULGA 