Following two months of intense bargaining with post-secondary education employers, the FPSE Provincial Bargaining Council is recommending members vote in favour of a new three-year deal.

Following two months of intense bargaining with post-secondary education employers, the FPSE Provincial Bargaining Council is recommending members vote in favour of a new three-year deal.

"The proposed new agreement accomplishes two important things," said Cindy Oliver, President of FPSE. "It aligns our collective agreements with the broader public sector, ensuring that we will be at the bargaining table with over 250,000 public sector workers in 2010 and it ensures that our provincial salary scale increases keep pace with the gains made in public sector bargaining that was completed in 2006," said Oliver.

"Our negotiators worked hard to not only get improvements in the provincial salary scale, but also push back on concession demands at both the provincial and local tables," Oliver added. "This proposed settlement continues to build on the strengths of our common agreement and positions us for further gains in the next round of bargaining," Oliver said.

Highlights of the Proposed Settlement:

  • A three year agreement expiring March 31, 2010
  • A $4,000 signing bonus for full-time eligible faculty (pro-rata for those less than full-time) if Local agreements settled before March 31, 2007
  • A 2.1% per year increase across the scale
  • A top of scale salary increase of 2.9% per year. By April 1, 2009, top of scale will rise to $83,231
  • A 2.1% lift to secondary scales
  • Common Faculty PD funds (0.6%) will roll over each year, allowing unused funds to accumulate rather than be forfeited
  • Administrative stipends increased 2.1%/year

Other proposed changes include:

  • A Comprehensive Consultation Table with government, PSEA, BCGEU and FPSE to deal with wide range of system issues.
  • A $50,000 fund to review existing benefit plans and identify cost savings and the re-allocation for priority benefits.
  • The employers' benefit consortium will fund an educational event for employer and union reps to examine disability issues such as duty to accommodate, psychological illness and culpable and non-culpable performance issues.
  • Agreement to participate in a Pension Partners' table to discuss Inflation Adjustment and H&W benefits for retirees.
  • Increased benefit coverage for eyeglasses.
  • An expanded definition of family for Compassionate Care leave.
  • Employees on a parental leave given option to return to work on a graduated basis.
  • At the end of the agreement access to fiscal dividend.
  • Improvements to union leave rights for members of the NVIT Employees' Association.

"The council carefully assessed the options before concluding that this was a proposal worth accepting," said Oliver. "We know that the alternative to this proposal is to reject it and, ultimately, take job action. There are obvious risks in that approach. Members would lose the $4,000 bonus and would be walking a picket line.

The FPSE Bargaining Council believes the proposed settlement is a better alternative and gives us a better position to push for contract improvements in the next round of bargaining," Oliver concluded .

How does the new grid affect your annual salary if you are full time? Find your current step. Follow the calculations across the table below. The figure on the far right will tell you the difference between your annual salary now, and your annual salary at the end of this contract including the effect of any increments you receive.

 

now

2007
Apr-01

At incr
date

2008
Apr-01

At incr date

2009
Apr-01

At incr date

Diff in
annual salary

step 1

76480

78729

78729

80972

80972

83231

83231

6751

step 2

73257

74795

78729

80972

80972

83231

83231

9974

step 3

68238

69671

74795

76366

80972

83231

83231

14993

step 4

65445

66819

69671

71134

76366

77970

83231

17786

step 5

63048

64372

66819

68223

71134

72628

77970

14922

step 6

60651

61925

64372

65724

68223

69655

72628

11977

step 7

58254

59477

61925

63225

65724

67104

69655

11401

step 8

55857

57030

59477

60726

63225

64553

67104

11247

step 9

53460

54583

57030

58228

60726

62002

64553

11093

step 10

51063

52135

54583

55729

58228

59450

62002

10939

step 11

48666

49688

52135

53230

55729

56899

59450

10784

 

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.