APSA received an unprecedented response to our Salary and Benefits bargaining survey. We asked the Salary and Benefits committee chair, Jo-Anne Ray, to voice her thoughts on the survey and what the results mean to the Salary and Benefits Committee.
This survey was different from the survey sent out in previous bargaining years. What made you decide on this change?
I think it was more we decided on this change, and part of that has come from the composition of the Salary and Benefits Committee and the length of our last agreement. We have, in my opinion, a much more diverse and representative group than in previous years. The term of our last agreement was 5 years, and it has been a while since we conducted the last Salary and Benefits Committee survey. Typically the terms are 3 years. We identified quite early in the process the need to be both more connected to the APSA membership and to also gather as much information as possible to get a sense of potential bargaining priorities. We also wanted to gather demographic information to be able to contextualize and more deeply assess survey responses. In visioning a direction, it was apparent that we required a more robust survey.
What were your expectations before launching the survey?
I give our members credit for wanting to be involved in the process. My feeling was that we would maybe get a 40% - 50% response. My recollection from the last survey was about a 37% response rate. Imagine my surprise and delight when we received a 73% response for a survey that averaged a commitment of 20 minutes per respondent. I think it demonstrated to the committee that we crafted a meaningful survey for the membership, and we were going to get very useful information in return. The overwhelming response of our membership certainly exceeded my expectations. I'm very appreciative that APSA members chose to fully participate in this important part of the bargaining preparation process.
When the survey results came in what was the committee's reaction?
The committee was very pleased with the level of response. I believe it encouraged meaningful dialogue both among APSA members and between the committee and the larger membership. Many Salary and Benefits Committee members told me they had received positive feedback about the survey content. I was also approached at several campuses by APSA members who wanted to express their thanks to the committee for conducting a survey that strongly resonated with the membership. Some of our committee members when approached also fielded questions from the membership, so the survey served both an information-gathering purpose and an opportunity for member education and engagement.
What did you find out in the survey that you weren't expecting or are particular pain points for APSA members?
I wasn't surprised by the survey responses, as much as I was by the number of APSA members who responded. There's a consistency of response. Extra hours worked, the salary scale and general level of benefits and member access to those benefits are common concerns. Where we departed from past surveys was in asking specific questions of our temporary membership. Temporary members are an important demographic within APSA. They account for roughly 20% of the current membership. Many of our continuing members also began their employment at SFU as temporary (about 50%). We wanted to get a meaningful range of survey responses from both our continuing and temporary members. To what extent is their feedback similar or dissimilar, and what is the nature of those similarities or differences? Because of the overwhelming member response to the survey, the committee was given much to work with.
How does this part of the process help in bargaining?
The member survey is immensely helpful as a part of the bargaining preparation process. It provides the Salary and Benefits Committee with one of several tools by which to assess APSA's current position in its negotiated relationship with the University. While the survey doesn't alone drive bargaining, it's important that the work of the committee not occur in a vacuum. Member feedback, especially to the extent that it was received in response to the survey, is one of several critical pieces needed in crafting sound, carefully considered proposals that benefit all APSA members.