BCGEU Okanagan Ratified

We are pleased to share that the three-year collective agreement between the University and BCGEU Okanagan has been ratified by all parties and is now in full effect. This agreement covers the period July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025. It is the second ratified agreement between UBC and one of its bargaining agents in this round of negotiations.

The agreement reached is consistent with the BC Government’s 2022 Shared Recovery Mandate. The renewed agreement also reflects the mutual interests of both the Union and the University in our many strategic plans and operational initiatives and includes the following:

• Addresses affordability issues for employees by creating a Health Spending Account, increased footwear allowance, a targeted increase to our lowest paid employees in Food Services and for Undergraduate Teaching Assistants.
• Provides a modest lift to our most skilled trades and technical employees through a targeted premium recognizing Red Seal or equivalent (or superior) tickets and certifications. We also provided an additional lift for our lead electricians and engineers to address recruitment and retention challenges.
• Created terms and conditions for Residence Advisors who are new to the collective agreement.
• Supports our IAP, ISP, and ARIE plans by revising the preamble to the collective agreement consistent with the parties’ mutual interest in an inclusive, diverse, anti-racist, and respectful workplace, and including language that;
  • Supports the recruitment of historically underrepresented candidates with two key changes: reducing seniority as a barrier to promotion for internal candidates from historically underrepresented groups; and, the establishment of a working group to develop strategies to attract, retain and promote members of these groups.
  • Supports reconciliation with improvements to bereavement leave with two days cultural leave for Indigenous employees.
  • Supports diversity by recognizing cultural and religious observances for our entire community.
  • Includes a new statement of principle supporting gender expression, identity, and trans inclusion.
  • Creates a commitment to explore an Indigenous Alternative Resolution Process for workplace issues.
  • Modernizes bereavement leave language that removes obsolete descriptors (e.g. same sex spouse, same sex partner) to ensure more inclusive language.
• Language to provide operational and administrative flexibility to support employees and the university.

These details, along with a summary of key changes and updated language will be posted on the Collective Agreements page over the next few weeks. Human Resources is also connecting with units to arrange information sessions for Managers on the changes in the coming weeks.

BCGEU Okanagan represents approximately 1,000 administrative support, facilities workers and technicians, library assistants, teaching assistants, residence advisors, technician/research assistants, and food service workers at the Okanagan campus.

We wish to thank the bargaining teams for their dedicated work in securing this agreement.