Bargaining Bulletin #23

March 23, 2012

To: Heads Up – Vancouver and Okanagan
From: Lisa Castle, AVP, Human Resources
Cc: HR Advisors & Associates
Re: Bargaining Bulletin #23 – Collective Bargaining Update

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide you with an update on developments in collective bargaining at UBC. An overview of collective bargaining (including information on the bargaining units) is available at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/collective-bargaining/.

As an update to Bargaining Bulletin #21 we are pleased to advise you that the members of BCGEU at the Vancouver campus (child care workers) ratified their two-year agreement, with an 88% vote in favour of the agreement reached with the University. BCGEU in Vancouver represents approximately 250 child care staff. We have now engaged our ratification process, which includes approval by the University Public Sector Employers’ Association (UPSEA) and the Board of Governors. This is expected to be completed by the beginning of April.

This is the fourth two-year agreement reached at UBC consistent with the Provincial Government’s net zero mandate for 2010 bargaining. The agreements outstanding are all four CUPE agreements, and IUOE 882. An overwhelming majority of collective agreements in the B.C. public sector have been settled under this mandate.

CUPE 2278, which represents UBC’s 2,300 teaching assistants, has advised Human Resources that their strike vote yesterday was successful, with 81% voting in favour with a turnout of 35% of their membership.   The University returns to the bargaining table with this Union on Tuesday, March 27. While the strike vote result was expected, we will be holding the Union accountable for its statements to its membership that this was a vote to return to bargaining with a strong mandate for greater gains. It is problematic as many of the gains sought have significant cost implications and are not consistent with the Provincial Government’s net zero mandate for the 2010-12 bargaining period.

Thank you for your interest. We will continue to provide updates as the process unfolds.

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