2 agreements ratified at University of Victoria

Agreements ratified under B.C.’s ‘co-operative gains mandate’

Two more agreements have been ratified at the University of Victoria.

The agreements were completed under the “co-operative gains mandate” with Local 4163 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and with the Professionals Employees Association (PEA), said John Yap, British Columbia’s minister of advanced education, innovation and technology.

Agreement with CUPE

The agreement with CUPE Local 4163 (Components I and II) represents about 1,500 employees, including teaching assistants, lab instructors, English language studies instructors in continuing studies and computer lab assistants.

It covers four years — from Sept. 1, 2010, to Aug. 31, 2014 — and includes zero per cent wage increases for the first two years.

Component I includes the following wage increases:

•one per cent (Sept. 1, 2012)

•one per cent (March 13, 2013)

•one per cent (Sept. 1, 2013)

•one per cent (March 1, 2014)

Component II includes the following wage increases:

•two per cent (Nov. 1, 2012)

•two per cent (Sept. 1, 2013).

CUPE Local 4163 members voted 89.7 per cent in favour of the deal, according to the union.

Agreement with PEA

The agreement with PEA represents about 950 non-faculty, administrative and academic professionals working in positions including counsellors, instructors, system analysts, fundraisers, scientific technicians, engineers, advisers and other areas.

The agreement covers two years and includes the following wage increases:

•two per cent (July 1, 2012)

•two per cent (July 1, 2013).

Co-operative gains mandate

The British Columbia government had said there will be no new money to fund wage increases, but under the co-operative gains mandate public sector employers can negotiate wage increases funded from savings within existing budgets.

“These agreements show that the co-operative gains mandate is working and savings can be found within existing budgets to fund modest wage increases,” said Yap.

The mandate applies to all public-sector employers whose collective agreements expired on or after Dec. 31, 2011.

“(It) provides the opportunity for employers and unions to find creative solutions, and this means no two settlements are going to be alike,” said Michael de Jong, B.C.’s minister of finance. “We are going to see unique settlements in every sector and with each employer.”

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