‘Speedy’ negotiations prove successful: CUPE
The first collective agreement for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Local 2278 teaching assistants (TAs) at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in Prince George, B.C. was ratified on Sept. 20 by both parties.
Getting to the table was a long process that began last year but once there, a deal was reached after just four days of bargaining. The new local will be component 3 of CUPE 2278, says the union.
“We were pleasantly surprised by the speed of the negotiations,” says Andrew Guest, the chair of the bargaining committee. “We met and it was very collegial and constructive. It was important for both sides to change the nature of the relationship between TAs and the university, and reach a new kind of relationship”
The move to organize was motivated by the experience of TAs at UNBC, who were primarily considered more student than employee, says Guest. Unpaid working hours, academic retaliation and harassment in all its forms are some of the key issues that the new agreement addresses, says CUPE.
“We got very firm protection and clear language around things like academic retaliation. The agreement clearly says academic retaliation is a form of harassment,” says Laura Bulk, CUPE 2278 president.
Final ratification of the agreement is expected early next week, after the university’s Public Sector Employers’ Association signs off on the deal, says the union.
CUPE 2278 represents about 78 TAs, who are also students at UNBC.
