UBC BCGEU Agreement: What You Need to Know
The University of British Columbia (UBC) and the British Columbia Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) recently reached a tentative agreement on a new collective agreement. This agreement impacts approximately 3,400 support staff at UBC and is worth paying attention to if you are a member of this union or work at UBC.
Here are a few key details about the agreement:
Wages:
The tentative agreement includes wage increases of 2% for the first three years of the agreement and 2.5% for the fourth year. This is in addition to a one-time lump sum payment of $1,200 for each employee.
Job Security:
The agreement also includes provisions for job security. The university has agreed to protect jobs that are at risk of being contracted out. This means that UBC will not contract out work unless it can demonstrate that doing so would result in savings of at least 5%.
Benefits:
The agreement also includes benefits improvements. One of the key improvements is that employees will now have access to a joint benefits plan with the other support staff unions at UBC. This joint plan provides improved benefits and cost savings compared to the current plan.
Other provisions:
The tentative agreement includes other provisions that impact employees. For example, it includes a new provision to address the issue of workload and workload stress. This provision requires UBC to work with the union to develop a joint plan to address workload stress. The agreement also includes provisions related to job postings, conversions, and reclassifications.
What’s next?
The tentative agreement still needs to be voted on by BCGEU members at UBC. Voting is expected to take place in November 2021. If the agreement is approved, it will be in effect from March 1, 2019, to February 28, 2023.
In conclusion, the UBC BCGEU agreement is an important development for support staff at UBC and the broader community. We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as they become available.