Comp 7 - Common Agreement Collective Bargaining Update

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Date: October 12, 2010

To: All BCGEU College Instructors

Re: Common Agreement Collective Bargaining Update

The Provincial Negotiating Committee (PNC) - BCGEU and Federation of Post Secondary Educators (FPSE) – has decided to shift the focus of collective bargaining back to the Local Agreements.

The PNC met with the Post Secondary Employers' Association (PSEA) last week. This was to continue discussions that began in May. We agreed to set aside the first two weeks of October with the hope of working toward a deal at the Common Agreement table.

By the afternoon of Wednesday, October 6th, it became apparent to us that there was considerable reluctance from the Employer’s perspective to enter into constructive dialogue.

PSEA has wrapped the “Net Zero” mandate around them as a security blanket and any Union proposals they believe have a cost are simply not negotiable.

The BCGEU understands the mandate dictated by the Government. We have negotiated and ratified many agreements over the last number of months that are captured by the same mandate. What was different in those negotiations was that the Employer’s were prepared to engage in the sharing of ideas to get agreements. We have not experienced that same engagement with PSEA. Further frustrating the process is reluctance on the Employer’s behalf to address operational issues.

It is because of the above; the PNC decided that a different focus should be made in trying to achieve an agreement.

For the members who are covered by the Common Agreement, both the Common and the Local Agreements make up the Collective Agreement. Some of you have already begun Local Bargaining and others of you have not. As a result, the PNC decided that it was a better use of time for the local bargaining committees to work toward getting an agreement at the local level before we continue negotiations at the Common Table.

Once the Local Agreements have either been concluded or taken as far as they can, then the PNC will meet to determine a time to return to the Common Table negotiations.

In solidarity

Stu Seifert, PNC, BCGEU Chairperson, Vancouver Island University
Cam McRobb, PNC, Okanagan University College
Steve Iverson, PNC, Camosun College
Cory Langford, PNC, BC Institute of Technology
Jeannie Maltesen, PNC, Vancouver Island University
Ian McAlpine, PNC, Selkirk College
Ann-Marie Merkel, PNC, Northwest Community College
John Turner, PNC, Northern Lights College
Mike Orders, Staff Representative, Negotiations

cc: Nancy Lucas, Chairperson, PNC
Jeff McKeil, Staff Negotiator, FPSE
David Streb, BCGEU Co-ordinator, Negotiations
Jacqueline Corno, Staff Representative
Doug Dykens, Staff Representative
Paula Dribnenki, Staff Representative
Henny Hanegraaf, Staff Representative
Darlene Thorburn, Staff Representative
Lori Strom, Staff Representative
Rob Wotherspoon, Staff Representative