Mar 6, 2006
FPSE News
"Most of our agreements don't expire until March 2007, but we need to be doing the ground work now to get the best possible agreements for our members in 2007," said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators.

"This Bargaining Conference is the first step in an on-going effort within FPSE to ensure our bargaining strategy meets the needs of our locals and our members," Oliver added.

"When we face administrators across the bargaining table, we need to not only have our demands and bargaining strategy well mapped out, we need to have built the case in the community, within the provincial government and within our allies in the broader labour movement, for the kind of public post-secondary education system that isn't starved for proper funding, isn't undermined by constant privatization and is accessible to every student who wants to expand their learning and career options with post-secondary education," said Oliver.

"What we need to consider is a bargaining strategy that's built on two tracks; one that recognizes the need to coordinate how we bargain as locals and one that builds the public support for much-needed improvements in our public post-secondary system," Oliver added.

Bargaining Conference delegates also heard how other unions in the public sector are developing their strategies for bargaining. The lead panel at the Conference included Jim Sinclair, President of the BC Federation of Labour, Debra McPherson, President of the BC Nurses' Union (BCNU) and David Strebb, Staff Rep with the BC Government and Services Employees' Union (BCGEU).

Cindy Oliver's report to the Bargaining Council (pdf 111 kb) Cindy is the President of FPSE

George Davison's report to the Bargaining Council (pdf 96 kb) George Davison is the First Vice-President of FPSE

Sheldon Clare's report to the Bargaining Council (pdf 84 kb) Sheldon Clare is Chair of the FPSE Bargaining Coordination & Review Committee

For more information, contact
Phillip Legg, Communications and Policy
Federation of Post Secondary Educators
(604) 788-2877
plegg@fpse.ca

 

About FPSE

The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC is the provincial voice for faculty and staff in BC teaching universities, colleges and institutes, and in private sector institutions. FPSE member locals, represented by Presidents' Council and the Executive, represent over 10,000 faculty and staff at 19 public and 5 private sector institutions.