VANCOUVER BC - CUPE members who work at universities in Burnaby, Kamloops, Vancouver and Victoria have all ratified agreements with their employers at Simon Fraser, Royal Roads, Thompson Rivers, UBC and UVic. Expiry dates vary but all fall in the year 2010.
Bargaining in BC’s university support staff sector continued for over a year-four years for Thompson Rivers members who were caught in the changeover in which the University College of the Cariboo became Thompson Rivers University.
Members ratified these collective agreements with clear majorities according to Connie Credico, bargaining co-ordinator for CUPE’s university sector in British Columbia.
“The bargaining committees are satisfied to have negotiated everything that was available to negotiate. Now members and their employers can look forward to four years of stability during which everyone can focus on issues they have not had time to deal with during this long stretch of contract negotiations.
During the month spent in mediated negotiations CUPE university locals worked closely with SFU’s teaching assistants TSSU.
There are approximately 10,000 support staff represented by CUPE in BC universities. The approximate 2000 TSSU members brought the total number who have ratified their agreements to 12,000.
CUPE has three locals at UVIC 917, 951 and 4163, one at Royal Roads, 3886, three at UBC 116, 2278 and 2950, one at SFU 3338 and one at Thompson Rivers represented by CUPE local 900.
Click here http://www.cupe.bc.ca/266 and select universities photo gallery to view photos from the long days of negotiations including photos of the signing ceremonies.