Professionals Making A Difference
We are requesting all PEA members to vote on the ratification package that was distributed the week of June 29th. The ballot included in the ratification package must be submitted to the PEA’s Victoria office no later than 4:30 PM on Thursday, Aug. 5th, 2010. The PEA Bargaining Committee has made a unanimous recommendation that members ratify this agreement.
The first of two ratification meetings was held on July 16th. The second meeting, which you are encouraged to attend if you have any questions or would like to discuss the tentative settlement, is Thursday, July 29th from 12 PM to 1 PM in the Social Sciences and Math Building, Room A104.
At the first ratification meeting and in subsequent listserv communications put forward by some PEA members, there has been a recommendation to vote no on the tentative package. The PEA is based on democratic principles and the bargaining committee is encouraging all members to make their views known at the ratification meeting and ultimately by voting on the package. Healthy debate ensures issues are fully canvassed and members understand all perspectives in determining their vote on ratification.
Public sector bargaining in BC has operated under government mandates since the mid-90s and in this round the PEA bargaining committee again found the employer indicating it had no flexibility to agree to wage increases or to enhance terms and conditions of employment by bargaining away management rights. Regardless of the employer’s position at the bargaining table, the Bargaining Committee believes there were meaningful gains for members as outlined in the ratification package, summarized as follows:
The decision to reach the settlement reflected continuous research prior to and during the bargaining process to ensure employer communications were consistent with other public sector settlements falling under government’s mandate of 0% and 0% over two years. The following is a summary of some of the settlements with 0% and 0% general wage increases that were reviewed by the Bargaining Committee and settled under the current government mandate:
Another 34,000 workers in the public sector have reached agreements under this mandate (some tentative) at BC Transit, BC Assessment, AAPS/UBC, APSA/SFU, and Community Living BC. Members can access settlement information, including a July 3rd Times Colonist article outlining the government’s mandate, on the PEA website.
The implications of a no vote for the settlement would be as follows:
There are also implications to consider in regard to leaving an expired collective agreement in place:
Your PEA Bargaining Committee’s unanimous recommendation to members that they vote yes reflects the belief that this settlement reflects the best possible agreement under a restrictive government mandate, which we do not see changing or enabling other unions to achieve settlements exceeding that mandate. Bargaining under government mandates has been the case in public sector bargaining (e.g. colleges, universities, health sector, public service, some Crown corporations, etc.) over the last decade and a half. The gains in the current tentative agreement may not be available to members if another round of bargaining is to resume.
While the Bargaining Committee does not agree with the sentiment that a no vote would be appropriate, we are open to the issues being raised and we would encourage all members to engage in future PEA and bargaining activities to ensure that their views are known and reflected.
Feel free to contact any member of the Bargaining Committee with questions or comments.
UVic Bargaining Committee:
Jonathan Foweraker, Co-op Education Coordinator
John Foxgord, Manager, Project Management Office
Jane Godfrey, Manager, Development Services
Sandra Guerreiro, Audience Services Manager
Lynn McCaughey, Career Educator
Matt Stiegemeyer, Manager, Student Marketing and Communications
Scott McCannell, PEA Labour Relations Officer
