College support staff ratify union agreement

About 2,100 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) support staff at five post-secondary institutions will be covered under new agreements.

Members of the CUPE Local 2773, which covers the College of the Rockies, have been included in the agreements.

“The agreements were reached as part of a CUPE support-staff template table that included the main compensation items and then required local bargaining to complete the bargaining process,” said B.C. government officials.

Officials said the agreements will cover support staff such as administration, facilities and technical support, food and beverage, library support and teaching assistance workers.

Some of the components of the agreements include the following:

• A three-year term – April 1, 2022 until March 31, 2025
• general wage increases:
  • Year 1 – a flat increase of $0.25/hour, which provides a greater percentage increase for lower-paid employees, plus 3.24%.
  • Year 2 – 5.5%, plus a confirmed cost-of-living adjustment to a maximum of 6.75% (maximum 6.75% triggered as of March 21, 2023).
  • Year 3 – 2% plus a potential cost-of-living adjustment to a maximum of 3%.
•  A negotiable flexibility allocation of up to 0.25% in years 1 and 2 to support mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties.

“Other achievements during this round of negotiations included Indigenous cultural leave at each institution, improved mental-health supports for employees, the establishment of several sectoral committees in benefits, and gender-neutral job evaluation,” said B.C. government officials.

The agreements cover the following colleges:

• Camosun College, and CUPE Local 2081 support staff
• College of New Caledonia, and CUPE Local 4951 support staff
• College of the Rockies, and CUPE Local 2773 support staff
• North Island College, and CUPE Local 3479 support staff
• Vancouver Island University, and CUPE Local 1858 support staff

“These negotiations are focused on providing a fair and reasonable offer to public-sector workers that includes significant inflation protection, while ensuring that government has the resources to continue to invest in building a stronger province for everyone.”