Labour relations update

As the new academic year gets underway, the university has new collective agreements with faculty members and librarians, and professional academic and administrative staff. For unions representing other employee groups where new collective agreements are not in place mediation and bargaining dates are scheduled.

The university successfully negotiated new collective agreements under the BC government’s Sustainable Services Negotiating Mandate with the Faculty Association and the Professional Employees Association (PEA). Both agreements took effect July 1, 2019.

Early last month, talks with CUPE 4163 (Component 3), which represents as many as 800 sessional instructors and music performance instructors during an academic year, reached an impasse. On Aug. 9, the university asked the Labour Relations Board (LRB) to appoint a mediator in the belief that the two parties can resolve the last few issues on the table. Mediation is expected to occur mid-September.

CUPE 4163 (Comp 3) has asked the LRB to designate what essential services would be maintained at UVic, a requirement before taking job action. The union’s members took a strike vote in July; of 219 members eligible to vote at the time, 84 of 91 voted in favour of job action.

Bargaining dates are scheduled this month with the other components of CUPE 4163, CUPE 951 and CUPE 917 to start or continue negotiations.

The university is confident the parties can advance negotiations to a mutually satisfactory conclusion under the BC government’s negotiating mandate—just as we did with the Faculty Association and PEA. Over two-thirds of BC’s public sector unionized employees now have agreements negotiated under that mandate.

For regular and more detailed updates about bargaining, visit uvic.ca/bargaining.