Community Updates: PDFA
Updates are provided regularly via these pages and through the weekly employee digests when bargaining is underway. Information on the bargaining process and upcoming meetings is also available on this site.
U of A and Postdoctoral Fellows Association ratify new collective agreement
The university is pleased to announce that the Board of Governors and the Postdoctoral Fellows Association have each ratified the tentative agreement, concluding this round of collective bargaining between the parties.
The agreement is for a four-year term, from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2028. Highlights of the agreement include a 3 per cent across-the-board salary increase in each of the four years of the agreement, retroactive to the start of the agreement, and benefits enhancements, including to dental and extended health, and the addition of vision care coverage. The university thanks both bargaining teams for their work in reaching this negotiated agreement.
U of A and Post Doctoral Fellows Association tentative agreement
On September 16, the Postdoctoral Fellows Association (PDFA) and the university reached a tentative agreement in negotiations on a renewed Collective Agreement. Negotiations between the parties have been ongoing since April 29, 2025. The university and the PDFA would like to thank both bargaining teams for their dedication and constructive collaboration in reaching this agreement.
The tentative agreement must now be ratified through approval by the Governors of the University of Alberta (the employer) and by a majority vote by PDFA members. Details of the agreement will be provided in future updates, following ratification. More information on the bargaining process, including ratification, is available on the Bargaining FAQ page.
The University of Alberta and Post Doctoral Fellows Association (PDFA) have agreed to meeting dates and will begin negotiations on a renewed collective agreement on April 29. Additional dates are scheduled for May 27 and June 17 and the Meeting Schedules page has been updated. Any future meeting dates will be added to the meeting schedules page as they become available.
The existing agreement between the university and the PDFA expired on December 31, 2024, but remains in effect in accordance with the provisions of the Alberta Labour Relations Code.
The university is committed to a fair, respectful and sustainable collective bargaining process that considers the importance of the interests of students, faculty, staff, and all internal and external partners within the university community. We look forward to productive discussions with the PDFA.