A spokesman for CUPE says a newly negotiated deal with North Island College mirrors recent public sector settlements in B.C. that have resulted in four-year deals with two per cent wage increases in the last two years.
CUPE’s B.C. Colleges Coordinator Ian McLean said the deal should be ratified by members early next week. He said the details are confidential, however, “this package is in line with other settlements. We went into this saying we didn’t want more, but we wouldn’t take less.” CUPE community college support workers have been without a contract since 2010.
On Nov. 20 and 21 CUPE Local 3479 picket lines disrupted classes for more than 870 North Island College (NIC) students and their 50 instructors.
At the time McLean said: “If it wasn’t for government interference in collective bargaining, we would be heading to work this morning with a reasonable contract in our pocket. Instead, we are heading for the picket line.”
NIC Director of College and Community Relations Susan Auchterlonie says the tentative agreement at the bargaining table means that “no further job action is expected at North Island College and exams and classes will go ahead as scheduled this month.”
The deal came after three days of intense central bargaining last weekend followed by local bargaining. The framework is for a no concessions, four-year deal with no wage increases in the first two years (under the provincial Net Zero Mandate) and increases spread over the final two years in line with other recent public sector agreements.