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UPDATE: Three CUPE unions strike deal with UVic

CUPE member ratification votes to be held this week, next week

Three CUPE unions, representing some 3,000 University of Victoria employees, have struck deals with their employer after two years of bargaining.

Last Wednesday, CUPE locals 917 and 951 reached a “no concession” four year deal that includes two per cent increases per year over the next two years, according to a release from CUPE 951 president Doug Sprenger.

CUPE 4163 reached an identical agreement on Friday.

Members of the 917 and 951 are voting on ratifying the collective agreements early this week. The results of those votes will be Friday’s Saanich News, or check online at saanichnews.com.

Local 4163 will hold a ratification vote on Nov. 13 and 14.

Rob Park, president of 917, says while they negotiated what they believe is a fair agreement, problems remain on some issues, including job security and inflation protection.

“We feel that we have made enough progress that we can now recommend to our membership to ratify,” he said. “But some of those issues will still be there when we come back in a year.”

The retroactive agreements, if ratified, would expire in 2014.

“We’re obviously very pleased that we got an agreement, and we were able to get it without a major disruption, and without the assistance of a mediator,” said Bruce Kilpatrick,  UVic’s director of communications.

Locals 917 and 951 represent some 1,500 non-teaching employees, including tradespeople, food service staff, childcare workers, and office and library staff, who have been without a contract since March 31, 2010.

CUPE 4163 represents 1,500 educational employees including teaching assistants, lab instructors, sessional instructors and music instructors.

Rotating strikes by 917 and 951 welcomed students back to school over a span of two weeks in September. Union and employer reps returned to the bargaining table, after negotiations failed earlier this year.

kslavin@saanichnews.com