VCCFA: One Tier & How it Spread in BC

• Frank Cosco fcosco@vccfa.ca
• VCCFA Vice President, Bargainer, Past President

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• March 2024

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I simply want to celebrate the fact that

right near your home,

year in and year out,

a community college is quietly –

with little financial encouragement –

saving lives and minds.

I can’t think of a more efficient,

hopeful, or egalitarian machine,

except perhaps the bicycle.

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Kay Ryan

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• A normal union in a normal community college, working on a more normal workplace

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• A single career path

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• Minimize workplace distinctions

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• Minimize Part Time vs Full Time

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• One Tier under VCC/VCCFA Collective Agreement

from Day One

• One Job Classification: faculty
• One pay scale (11 steps) ( top $113k) (Weighted Avg +$100k)
• Absolute pay equality for part-timers, completely pro-rata
• One hiring per career, detailed and grievable evaluation procedures
• One Academic Freedom provision for all
• Harassment & Human Rights Protection
• All union rights/membership rights
• Accrue ROFR (reached after 120 cumulative days)
• Seniority (with first contract, mandatory after 3 days)
• Accrue Pension vesting, mandatory after $30k made
• Prorata Workload with Scheduling by seniority

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• One Tier under VCC/VCCFA Collective Agreement

Given maintenance of half-time/+ status, will accrue

Extended Health Benefits (have Canadian medical)

Dental Benefits

Paid Sick Leave (government has set min of five days for all)

Short and Long-term Disability

Professional Development Time (with monetary support)

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Automatic Regularization of the Person not position

at any time-status between half and full-time

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• One Tier under VCC/VCCFA Collective Agreement

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• Regularization brings
• Protection of Part-time Regular Status & Seniority
• No further evaluations without cause
• Right to take leaves and maintain spot
• Scheduling within “area” by seniority
• Suite of layoff protections, with recall or severance rights
• Transition to Retirement provisions

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One Tier under VCC/VCCFA Collective Agreement

Provisions and Laws Work Together

• Erasure of Cost Differentials
• Automatic Regularization
• Leaves, Retirement Incentives for Regulars
• Max on Auxiliary Work (3 days)
• Pro-Rata Workload
• No Overtime
• Department Leaders having to rotate
• Equity in Accrual and Application of Seniority
• Departmental and Union Democracy
• Provincial and Federal Laws re Shared Governance, Medical, Pension, Unemployment Rights and Union Membership

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How aspects of One-Tier Workplace were Spread in BC

Regularization

• Pretty much have had free collective bargaining since the 80s
• Started with wide disparity in wages, length of scales, provisions, job security
• (VCCFA got automatic regularization in 1988)
• Serious efforts to coordinate bargaining started in early 90s under FPSE, Federation of Post Secondary Educators, for and by its member locals
• First attempt (1992/94) only half-dozen locals, with a hybrid of common goals through local means, but with enhanced support in event of strike action -- Money worked, reaching goals didn’t
• Next attempt, (1995/98) with coordinated strikes got an interim political deal, with a “Common Table” with enforceable conditions for signatories, 1^st Provincial Common Scale at least for regular faculty

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How aspects of One-Tier Workplace were Spread in BC

Regularization

• In 1998-2001 round, there was a second system-wide push for two-tiered Common Table bargaining.
• Getting regularization language became a major goal. FPSE resourced a Status of Non-Regular committee (SNRF became Snurfs) -- became an organization-wide cultural feature. Led to shared bargaining demand.
• Mobilization of power. It was the last issue left, most locals had strike votes, with walkouts scheduled for 6 am. Deal was reached with couple of hours to spare.
• Set up a framework for Regularization for locals and management to work on, with clear goals/outcomes. Binding arbitration if work not successful by deadline. Locals made significant progress, but could not reach VCCFA level of automatic regularization of the person.
• Locals could opt out (as VCCFA did), but set current framework in BC.

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What is a Common Table?

• A number of independent locals voluntarily create a temporary bargaining authority/certification over a set number of issues.
• Other issues left to local bargaining.
• Usually includes wages and benefits, in 1998/2001 had regularization
• Their corresponding managements need to also engage (often with some arm-twisting by government)
• Union side has its own signed agreement around procedures, committee details. Can recommend ratification or strike votes--It binds all signatories till final agreement reached.
• BC post-secondary used 9 times since 1995, not used in 22-25 round.

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Failure of Common Table approach in 2019-2022 was Instructive

• Third attempt at a major feature of one-tier workplace -- ending secondary scales. Again, long buildup of issue within union culture.
• Lacked however a clear focus on bargaining effort. Political lobbying effort intervened and weakened it.
• When stymied at the Table, no clear strategy for mobilizing power amongst the CT locals.
• Resulted in drawn out effort with less and less power and eventual referral back to local tables.
• Some locals were able to make partial gains at their local table; others were not.
• Resulting in: forms of secondary scales, slightly better at some locals, remaining in place now.

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Thanks

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