UBC Okanagan and its support services employees have ratified a two- year agreement under the government's 2010 mandate, announced Finance Minister Kevin Falcon.

The agreement covers more than 300 employees who perform a variety of important support services across the campus in areas such as teaching assistance, library, facilities, housing, administration and student services. The employees are members of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union, which ratified the agreement over the last week.

Government announced its intention to control spending on wages for public sector agreements that expired in 2010 and 2011 through a net-zero cost mandate for collective bargaining. To protect jobs and preserve services essential to British Columbians, government does not have funding for wage increases as collective agreements are renewed.

Quick Facts:

• B.C.'s public sector has approximately 307,000 unionized workers, who provide our province with vital services.
• To date, about two-thirds of those employees have successfully re-negotiated agreements under the net-zero mandate.

Learn More:

Updated bargaining information is available at:

http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/psec/

Contact:

Jamie Edwardson
Communications Director
250 356-2821