The Post-Secondary Employers’ Association (PSEA) has reached a tentative agreement at the Support Staff Multi-Employer Table (MET) under the Province’s Shared Recovery Mandate.

The tentative agreement covers approximately 3,800 BCGEU members, a number of whom are students, employed at seven post-secondary institutions that provide services in administration, facilities and technical support, food and beverage, library support and teaching assistance.

Negotiations under the Shared Recovery Mandate support government’s key priorities to improve public services and the health-care system, while supporting the Province’s continued economic recovery for all.

The tentative agreement establishes a common agreement for the institutions, which includes the main compensation items and will combine with individual agreements at the local level that are yet to be negotiated. Bargaining is two-tier in this sector.

Parties to the MET table include the following seven locals at these institutions:

• British Columbia Institute of Technology and BCGEU Local 703
• Coast Mountain College and BCGEU Local 712
• Douglas College and BCGEU Local 703
• Justice Institute of British Columbia and BCGEU Local 703
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University and BCGEU Local 704
• Northern Lights College and BCGEU Local 710
• Okanagan College and BCGEU Local 707

More than 500,000 people work across the provincial public sector in the core Public Service, at Crown corporations, in health, community social services, kindergarten-to-Grade 12 public education and at post-secondary institutions and research universities.

Of those people, approximately 393,000 are unionized employees paid under collective agreements or professionals paid through negotiated compensation agreements.