CUPE locals in the CUPE Colleges Bargaining Council (CCBC) have returned to local bargaining tables to resume bargaining discussions.
The College and Institute Support Staff Bargaining Association (CISSBA) met with the Post-Secondary Employers’ Council (PSEA) last week and after joint discussions the parties agreed to resume provincial talks at a later time. CISSBA includes CUPE (CCBC) members as well as BCGEU and FPSE support staff.
CCBC Chair Michelle Waite says that CUPE locals hope to have some good discussion and find solutions to in-house issues. “We look forward to continuing our talks at the local level and would encourage all of our employers to engage in productive discussions. Our goal is to achieve collective agreements that allow us to support education that meets the needs of our students and communities.”
The CUPE council includes five CUPE locals that represent more than 2,000 staff at Camosun College (CUPE 2081), College of the Rockies (CUPE 2773), College of New Caledonia (CUPE 4951), North Island College (CUPE 3479) and Vancouver Island University (CUPE 1858).
Workers covered by these agreements provide important services at colleges and institutes across the province, including maintenance, administrative support, custodial support, food services, horticulture, child care, teaching assistance, IT services/technical support and library services. They also staff print shops and book stores on campus.
Collective agreements expired on June 30, 2010.