Collective bargaining with the university’s six unionized employee groups happened throughout 2022 and early 2023. This web page is a source of accurate information about the collective bargaining process and is designed to keep you informed of the state of collective bargaining at UVic.
The employee groups
- CUPE 917: athletic department, food services, grounds maintenance and janitorial employees, security officers and tradespeople
- CUPE 951: office employees, library assistants, technicians and child care workers
- CUPE 4163 - Components 1 and 2: teaching assistants, lab assistants, French and English language instructors, and community leaders
- CUPE 4163 - Component 3: sessional instructors and music performance instructors
- The Faculty Association: regular faculty, limited-term faculty appointments and librarians
- The Professional Employees Association (PEA): administrative and academic professional employees
BC bargaining mandate
Since 1993, bargaining in the broader BC public sector has been governed by negotiation mandates established by the provincial government. In 2022, 184 unions representing approximately 393,000 public sector employees in British Columbia started renegotiating collective agreements with public-sector employers (school districts, hospitals, universities, crown corporations) under a new provincial Shared Recovery Mandate.
To date, nearly 348,000 unionized employees, including all hospital employees, community and long-term care employees, CUPE support staff at UBC, support staff in every school district, unionized support staff across the BC public service, and all other unionized employees at UVic are covered by tentative or ratified agreements under the Shared Recovery Mandate. View a full listing
Key elements of the Shared Recovery Mandate include:
- three-year term – April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025
- general wage increases:
- April 1, 2022: a flat increase of $0.25/hour, which provides a greater percentage increase for lower-paid employees, plus a wage increase of 3.24%
- April 1, 2023: 5.5% plus a potential cost of living adjustment to a maximum of 6.75% (maximum 6.75% approved as of March 21, 2023)
- April 1, 2024: 2% plus a potential cost of living adjustment to a maximum of 3% (maximum 3% approved as of March 20, 2024)
- a negotiable flexibility allocation of up to 0.25% in years 1 and 2 to support mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties
Current status of collective bargaining at UVic
As of May 25, 2023, employees represented by UVic’s six unions are now covered by ratified or tentative agreements under the BC government’s Shared Recovery Mandate. The following provides an update on the status of collective bargaining with each union at UVic.
- Collective bargaining with Component 3 of CUPE local 4163, representing Sessional Instructors and Music Performance Instructors, began on Sept. 29 and concluded with a tentative agreement on Nov. 28. The agreement, which will be in effect May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2025, was successfully ratified by the union and its members on Dec. 9, and by the university’s Board of Governors on Dec. 13.
- Collective bargaining with the PEA, representing more than 1,100 professional staff and middle managers at UVic began in October and concluded on Dec. 16 with a tentative agreement. The agreement, which will be in effect July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025, was successfully ratified by the union and its members and by the university’s Board of Governors in January.
- Following months of negotiations, a collective agreement between the University of Victoria and the Faculty Association was ratified in February under the BC government’s Shared Recovery Mandate. The agreement, which represents more than 960 faculty members and librarians at UVic, will be in effect July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025.
- Collective bargaining with CUPE local 951, representing up to 900 staff, started on Oct. 13 and concluded with a tentative agreement on March 3. The agreement, which will be in effect April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025, was successfully ratified by the union and its members and by the university’s Board of Governors in March.
- Collective bargaining for Components 1 & 2 of CUPE local 4163, representing two component groups, including Teaching Assistants and Language Instructors—each with separate collective agreement language—began on Dec. 12 and concluded on Feb. 15 with a tentative agreement. The agreement, which will be in effect Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2025, was successfully ratified by the union and its members on Feb. 28 and by the university's Board of Governors on March 2.
- Collective bargaining with CUPE local 917, representing up to 1,000 staff, started on Oct. 14 and concluded with a tentative agreement on May 25. The new tentative agreement, once it is ratified by the bargaining unit and the Board of Governors, will be in effect April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025. More details will be available once this agreement is ratified.