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What is Collective Bargaining?

Collective bargaining is the process in which the parties negotiate the terms and conditions of employment, as defined by the B.C. Labour Relations Code. 

Before the Collective Bargaining process begins, the university consults with the community and develops proposals that are balanced and sustainable in the best interests of the university.

At the same time, each union and professional association consults their members and develops proposals that are intended to improve the terms and conditions of employment for their members.

During the Collective Bargaining process, the university meets independently with each of SFU’s unions to exchange monetary (wages, benefits, etc.) and non-monetary (working conditions, hours of work, etc.) proposals. SFU also bargains with the Administrative and Professional Staff Association though those negotiations are limited to monetary, compensation matters.

The parties negotiate until they can reach an agreement that adheres to the Provincial Mandate, known as the tentative agreement. To reach a final agreement, the members of the union or association must vote in favour of ratifying it, and the SFU Board of Governors must vote to approve it.

Where does the money to support collective bargaining come from?

The money used in collective bargaining comes from the provincial government, not the University’s budget. Under the Public Sector Employers Act, the B.C. government sets guidelines for all public sector employers, including universities, in what is known as the Province’s Bargaining Mandate.

The Province’s Bargaining Mandate is an envelope of funding that supports the university and the union in negotiating enhancements to the terms and conditions of employment. They also come with guidelines for usage, including annual maximum allowable general wage increases and duration of agreement or the term. 

This ensures fairness and consistency across the provincial public sector, and protects the interests of taxpayers by ensuring public sector compensation costs are aligned with the fiscal plan through budget objectives set by the government. The Province’s Bargaining Mandate does not apply to bargaining units in municipal or local governments.

Why would the university decline proposals during collective bargaining? 

Proposals that fall outside the scope of collective bargaining, such as those involving student affairs, on-campus housing, graduate funding and community services are not part of the terms and conditions of employment as defined by the B.C. Labour Relations Code. 

Should a union or association table a proposal that falls outside the scope of collective bargaining, the university must reject the proposal because it is not eligible for negotiation under the Labour Code. It does not necessarily mean that the university opposes the idea or the university can address issues/opportunities outside of collective bargaining.  

Other proposals that the employer may decline are those that infringe on another union’s collective agreement, contravene university policy, breach core interests such as faculty or management rights, or incur costs that exceed the funds allocated in the Province's Bargaining Mandate.