Who negotiates the Post-Secondary common agreements?

The BCGEU has two bargaining councils that negotiates common agreements with the Post-Secondary Employers' Association (PSEA): the Instructors Bargaining Council (IBC) who negotiates on behalf of vocational instructors; and the College and Institute Support Service Bargaining Association (CISSBA) who negotiates on behalf of administrative professionals.

• The IBC is a multi-employer council, consisting of chairpersons from seven BCGEU bargaining units (Camosun College, Coast Mountain College, Northern Lights College, Okanagan College, Selkirk College, Vancouver Island University and British Columbia Institute of Technology).
• The CISSBA is also a multi-employer council, consisting of chairpersons from seven BCGEU bargaining units (British Columbia Institute of Technology, Coast Mountain College, Douglas College, Justice Institute of BC, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Northern Lights College and Okanagan College).

How many workers total are covered by the Post-Secondary common (IBC and CISSBA) agreements?

Over 4,100 workers are covered by the two common agreements: 1,200 vocational instructors (IBC) and 2,900 support staff (CISSBA).

The BCGEU is the only union representing workers covered by these agreements.

What kind of jobs do post-secondary workers do?

Post-secondary members work as vocational instructors and support staff at post-secondary institutions across B.C. 

What is a common agreement? What is a local agreement? How do these differ from a sectoral agreement?

All three agreements (common, local and sectoral) are ways for workers to collectively negotiate minimum standards of employment.

But they differ in who and what they cover: 

• A local agreement covers BCGEU members working in the same occupation for one employer. A local agreement addresses issues specific to those workers and their specific employer, such as health and safety.
• A common agreement covers BCGEU members working in the same occupation for multiple employers. A common agreement addresses (and aims to standardize) issues shared amongst those workers and their employers, such as compensation and workload.
• Sectoral agreements are like common agreements in terms of what they cover but differ from common agreements in who they cover. Sectoral agreements cover members from multiple unions working in the same occupation for multiple employers. 

Which BCGEU bargaining units are covered by the vocational instructors common agreement?

The BCGEU's post-secondary vocational instructors common agreement with the PSEA covers members working for Camosun College, Coast Mountain College, Northern Lights College, Okanagan College and Selkirk College. BCGEU members working for Vancouver Island University and British Columbia Institute of Technology participate in common agreement bargaining preparation and we're hopeful the employer representatives will participate this round as well. 

Which BCGEU bargaining units are covered by the support staff common agreement?

The BCGEU's post-secondary support staff common agreement with the PSEA covers members working for the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Coast Mountain College, Douglas College, Justice Institute of BC, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Northern Lights College and Okanagan College.

Who negotiates my local agreement?

Local agreements are negotiated by your local BCGEU bargaining committee. The chairperson of each local bargaining committee participates on the BCGEU bargaining councils - IBC and CISSBA. Connect with your relevant chairperson to find out more about your local bargaining committee.