BC Assessment and CUPE Local 1767 have ratified a two-year agreement under the Cooperative Gains Mandate, Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Bill Bennett announced today.

The agreement covers approximately 600 employees working as appraisers, in administrative support, and as property inventory collectors for the field offices, and for head office in the areas of information technology, finance, assessment valuation and quality assurance, and customer solutions.

The two-year agreement provides for modest wage increases of two per cent effective April 1, 2012 and two per cent on January 1, 2013, funded from savings found within existing budgets, as required by the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate.

The B.C. government has been clear that there is no new money to fund wage increases and there is no desire to download these costs onto families or future generations. The Cooperative Gains Mandate provides public-sector employers with the ability to negotiate modest wage increases funded from savings within existing budgets, not adding costs to taxpayers and ratepayers, and not sacrificing services.

Settlements under the 2012 mandate are expected to be unique between sectors and between employers in some sectors.

Quotes: 

Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Bill Bennett -

"I am pleased to hear that BC Assessment and the members of CUPE Local 1767 have ratified an agreement under the Cooperative Gains Mandate."

"I would like to thank the negotiators on both sides of the table for their hard work in making this agreement happen."

Judy Rogers, chair, BC Assessment Authority -

"I am happy that we have reached this agreement. This comes just as assessment notices are about to be delivered to our customers, and our CUPE members are integral to ensuring assessments are on time and accurate."

Quick Facts:

• The new 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate applies to all public sector employers whose collective agreements expire on or after Dec. 31, 2011.

• About 300,000 unionized workers are employed in the public service, at Crown corporations and agencies, and in the K-12, post-secondary, health and community social services sectors.
  

Learn More:

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

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement Ministry of Finance
250 356-2821

Matt Gordon
Communications Director
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250 953-3677