CUPE deal at Vancouver Island U

December 7, 2012

NANAIMO—CUPE support workers at Vancouver Island University have a new tentative agreement. The deal was reached this week after a final bargaining session between VIU and CUPE Local 1858.

The tentative agreement is for a four-year, no-concessions agreement with no wage increases in the first two years and four 1percent wage hikes spread over the final two years. The last contract expired more than two years ago.

The term of the tentative deal is July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2014 and has no wage increase in the first two years in keeping with the provincial government’s Net Zero Mandate (which prevented any wage increases for public sector workers in 2010 and 2011). The framework for settlement for BC colleges was hammered out last weekend by the government and unionized post secondary support workers including the CUPE Colleges Bargaining Committee.

The deal must still be ratified by the members of CUPE 1858 and by the employer. The union ratification vote will be held at VIU's four main campuses next week.

CUPE 1858 president Deborah Hopper says the local's membership "showed unity through a difficult battle, ensuring that we were treated equitably with support staff at other post-secondary institutions. Only due to our commitment and solidarity were the bargaining committees, both provincially and locally, able to get what we set out to achieve for our members."