Bargaining, organizing and holding governments accountable are major items at FPSE’s 30th Annual Convention

“Renewing our collective agreements and renewing our commitment to organizing are going to be major agenda items at this year’s convention,” said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators. Oliver was referring to FPSE’s 30th Annual Convention which starts on May 18th at Harrison Hot Springs. The convention will bring together close to 200 faculty representatives from around BC to debate and plan the Federation’s agenda for the next twelve months.

“Our members make an enormous difference in the lives of their students by providing them with the knowledge and skills but, most of all, confidence to succeed in their pursuit of a post-secondary education,” said Oliver. “Unfortunately, our ability to make that difference is being constrained by provincial policy and funding choices that are failing to support our public post-secondary education system,” Oliver added. “Real per-student operating grants from the provincial government have been falling over the past decade and we need to mobilize our members to press government to reverse that decline,” Oliver stressed.

“Our members are also focused on renewing local collective agreements and this convention provides an important opportunity to talk about how we move ahead on that front,” said Oliver. “We think there are ways to improve working and learning conditions at our campuses and we are, collectively, making that case to employers at all our post-secondary institutions. I’m confident this convention will help galvanize that effort and make progress more achievable for all our locals,” said Oliver.

“This convention will also consider ways to strengthen our organizing efforts. We have had success over the last three years in unionizing a number of private colleges and institutes. We need to continue that work and open the door to collective bargaining for more faculty in these private institutions,” Oliver added.

“We have a busy agenda over the four day convention. It’s a time to debate and plan the priorities that will make a difference to our members,” Oliver concluded.

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For more information contact:
Phillip Legg, FPSE, Communications, 604 788-2877