The prolonged labour dispute between Simon Fraser University and the 1,000 members of CUPE Local 3338 has finally come to a close as workers ratified a four year deal following three days of electronic voting which ended 4 PM on Friday, June 28th.
The no concession deal included two-percent wage increases in each of the final two years, with the first two years falling under the provincial government’s Zero Mandate prohibiting wage increases for public-sector workers.
The last public post-secondary institution to settle with its CUPE employees, the SFU settlement is in line with all agreements reached at every other university and college in BC.
SFU insisted that discussion of the pension plan be tied to bargaining, though the BC Labour Relations Board deemed such action as bad faith bargaining. CUPE had said all along it would address problems with the SFU Pension Plan which involves other employees of SFU who are not members of CUPE 3338.
“It was a difficult and challenging round of bargaining for the Local, and we are happy to have finally reached an agreement, with no concessions,” said Fiona Brady Lenfesty, Vice President of CUPE Local 3338 and a member of the bargaining committee. “We now look forward to working with our fellow employees’ groups on an improved and sustainable pension plan.”
CUPE 3338 served strike notice on October 1st, 2012 and over the subsequent eight months SFU workers shut down all three campuses, held rotating strikes, study sessions, and overtime bans in order to pressure SFU to negotiate.
While a four year deal, as a result of SFU workers going without a contract for three years, this new agreement is in effect for the period starting April 1st 2010, and ending March 31st 2014.