Fourteen post-secondary institutions in B.C. and close to 7,500 employees have recently ratified a number of agreements negotiated under the Economic Stability Mandate.

Details of these ratified agreements at institutions are as follows:

• Vancouver Island University and CUPE Local 1858 - approximately 400 support staff providing a variety of support and administrative services to administration, faculties, service units and students.
• The B.C. Institute of Technology and the BCGEU Local 703 Vocational Faculty - approximately 400 instructional staff, including those teaching in vocational/trades programs such as electrical, piping, avionics, marine engineering, drafting, welding, joinery, carpentry, sheet metal, automotive, heavy duty/commercial transport and nautical sciences.
• Camosun College and CUPE Local 2081 - approximately 700 support staff providing maintenance, grounds, custodial, front line, clerical, secretarial, book store operations, library, instructional assistance, and administrative support, as well as cafeteria, trades, sports and recreation services.
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the Kwantlen Faculty Association - approximately 1,000 instructors, counsellors and librarians working at KPU.
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the BCGEU Local 703 - approximately 575 employees who provide a variety of support and administrative services to administration, faculties, service units and students at campuses located in Cloverdale, Langley, Surrey and Richmond.
• Emily Carr University of Art + Design and the Emily Carr Faculty Association FPSE Local 22 - almost 270 faculty members working at the university, including sessional instructors, lecturers, adjunct faculty, regular faculty and non-teaching faculty such as counsellors and librarians.
• Capilano University and COPE Local 378 - over 400 support staff providing a variety of services in areas such as finance, registrar's office, library, administrative support for faculties, facilities, IT and marketing.
• Three ratified agreements representing over 1,550 faculty reached at the Faculty Template Table with union locals of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators at Selkirk College, Douglas College and Camosun College.
• Six ratified agreements representing more than 2,050 employees reached at the Support Staff Multi-Employer Table with BCGEU or CUPE locals at colleges and institutes throughout the province including Northwest Community College, Justice Institute of B.C., College of the Rockies, North Island College, College of New Caledonia and Okanagan College.

The agreements provide a 5.5% wage increase over the five years of the term with potential for additional increases if the B.C. economy exceeds the annual forecasts set by the Economic Forecast Council during the last four years of the agreements.

More than 230,000 people are now covered by long-term tentative or ratified agreements negotiated under the 2014 Economic Stability Mandate. This represents over three-quarters of all unionized public-sector employees in B.C.

The government’s Economic Stability Mandate gives public-sector employers the ability to negotiate longer-term agreements within a fixed fiscal envelope, and offers employees an opportunity to participate in the province’s economic growth through the Economic Stability Dividend. Settlements are expected to be unique and to reflect priorities negotiated to ensure labour stability and affordable service delivery throughout B.C.

Quick Facts:

• The new 2014 Economic Stability Mandate applies to all public-sector employers whose collective agreements expired on or after Dec. 31, 2013.
• If the province’s real GDP growth exceeds forecasts over the terms of the agreement, the agreement provides for the sharing of some benefits of that growth with the public-sector employees who work on behalf of British Columbians and help make that growth possible.
• Under this proposal, employees would receive a conditional, incremental wage increase equal to half of any percentage-point gain in real GDP growth above the Economic Forecast Council’s forecast published in the February budget.
• For example, if real GDP growth is one percentage point above forecast real GDP growth, then a 0.5% wage increase would result, beyond whatever wage increase had been negotiated in the contract.

Learn More:

An up-to-date listing of tentative and ratified agreements under the Economic Stability Mandate is available at: www.fin.gov.bc.ca/psec/bargaining/2014%20Bargaining%20Status.pdf

Media Contacts:

Ministry of Finance:
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Jamie Edwardson
250 356-2821

Ministry of Advanced Education:
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Stacey McGaghey-Jones
250 952-6400