Vancouver Island University (VIU) and faculty represented by the BC Government Employees' Union have reached a tentative two-year agreement under the government's 2010 mandate, announced Finance Minister Kevin Falcon.

"I congratulate those involved on the agreement reached between the BCGEU faculty and Vancouver Island University under our 2010 mandate," said Falcon. "I'd like to extend my thanks to the negotiators, particularly for their negotiating efforts during what continue to be challenging economic times."

The agreement covers 350 faculty members who deliver trades, health sciences, adult basic education and international education at VIU. Other programs at VIU are delivered by members of the Vancouver Island University Faculty Association, which is currently on strike.

More than 70 per cent of university faculty across B.C. are now covered by agreements negotiated under the 2010 mandate, including UBC, RRU, UVic, SFU, UNBC and Thompson Rivers University open learning faculty.

"These educators and staff provide their students with a wide variety of skills that help keep businesses and communities growing across B.C.," said Advanced Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto. "I'm pleased to hear that Vancouver Island University and its BCGEU faculty have reached an agreement."

"The university commends both bargaining teams for their professionalism and hard work," said VIU president Ralph Nilson. "We are very pleased with this bargaining outcome."

Government has already announced its intention to control spending on wages during this round of bargaining. To protect jobs and preserve vital services British Columbians depend on, government does not have any funding for new wage increases as collective agreements are renewed.

There are approximately 306,000 unionized workers in occupations throughout B.C.'s public sector, the great majority of which have agreements that expired between March 31, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010. More than two-thirds of those employees have now renegotiated agreements that were set to expire in 2010, including agreements covering 99 per cent of health-care workers.

Updated bargaining information is available at: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/psec/bargaining2010/

Contact:

Sarah Harrison

Communications Director

Ministry of Finance

250 356-2821

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect