The board of the Post-Secondary Employers' Association (PSEA) has ratified three support staff agreements reached under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate, Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology Minister John Yap announced today.

Each four-year agreement includes zero per cent wage increases for the first two years, consistent with the 2010 Net Zero Mandate, and four staged increases of one per cent over the third and fourth years, funded from savings found within existing budgets as required under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate.

More than half of the people working in B.C.'s public sector now have tentative or ratified agreements settled under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate. This represents about one-third of agreements.

Following local ratification by union members, the PSEA board provided the final sign-off on the agreements between Capilano University and COPE Local 378, North Island College and CUPE Local 3479, and Vancouver Island University and CUPE Local 1858. These agreements cover about 1,100 staff working in a variety of positions ranging from information technology, instructional assistants, administration and lab support workers, to library technicians, facilities and other services that support students and the institutions.

The PSEA reached a template compensation agreement in December for support staff on behalf of 12 participating colleges, institutes, and teaching universities and their respective unions, including the BCGEU, CUPE and COPE, which organized as an association for the purposes of these negotiations. These three support staff agreements adopt that template.

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 2012 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 Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology John Yap -

"I am pleased to hear that these agreements with support staff at Capilano University, North Island College and Vancouver Island University have been ratified by the PSEA under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate."

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

Minister of Finance Michael de Jong -

"More than half of unionized employees are now covered under negotiated settlements, despite the tough fiscal environment. These agreements show significant progress is being made under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate."

"This mandate gives employers and unions the opportunity to find creative solutions, and this means no two settlements are going to be alike. We are going to see unique settlements in every sector and with each employer."

Quick Facts:

• The 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 kindergarten-Grade 12, post-secondary, health and community social services sectors.

Learn More:

Updated bargaining information is available at:

http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/psec/bargaining/index.htm

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Finance
250 356-9872

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology
250 952-6400