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Vote YES for the Columbia College Union!
Workers at Columbia College are forming a union with the Professional Employees Association (PEA) to make sure that we protect our collective voice and get the best deal possible as we transition to the new university.
The PEA is a union for professionals, supporting a wide range of workers in the education, legal, union and health care sectors across BC. We will be supported by PEA staff every step of the way—negotiating the collective agreement, working with management, and dealing with grievances.
Join us in building a better workplace, vote YES to the union. The employer is never allowed to know who signed a card.
You have the legal right to form a union in BC; the BC Labour Relations Code protects you. Your employer is never allowed to know how you voted.
Why Join the Union
Job Security and Organizational Change
A union will provide greater stability and job security as Columbia College transitions to a new university model. With a union, workers can only be fired when there is just cause, and we will have a formal process to dispute unjust discipline. We will be able to speak out about problems or mistreatment without fear of being disciplined. Other union agreements also includes prohibitions on contracting out work that would lead to job losses, as well as much stronger severance provisions.
Respect, Fairness and Equal Treatment
With a union we will sit at a bargaining table as equals with our employer and negotiate a set of rules that guarantee respect and fairness for everyone. Workplace conditions will be transparent and guaranteed. With a union, our employer will follow clear processes that will ensure fairness, respect and transparency at work, free from arbitrary decisions, fear, or bullying.
A Collective Voice
The upcoming merge with Quest University will mean the end of the democratic society model under which we’ve been operating. If we don’t take action, this will mean we will lose our collective voice in the workplace. With a union, we will have an equal say in how our new workplace operates.
Support from Union Staff
We will be supported by PEA staff every step of the way—negotiating the collective agreement, working with management, and dealing with grievances.
Want to Learn More? Contact PEA Organizer Duncan Pike for a confidential conversation: dpike@pea.org or 416 893 2286.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are union dues?
Dues are 1% of salary, the lowest in B.C., and are tax deductible. You don’t start paying dues until after the union is officially certified. There are no other ‘fees’ or charges.
What happens if my manager finds out I signed a card?
Union cards are completely confidential. Your manager never gets to know who has signed a card.
What is the time commitment?
As much or as little as you want. There are no requirements after you sign a card.
How do I join the union? Am I eligible to join?
The first step to joining the union is signing a membership card; you can sign a confidential, digital card here: https://pea.org/CCcard. The employer never gets to see who signed a card. Once at least 55% of eligible Columbia College workers sign cards, we can apply to certify the union.
Everyone who works for Columbia College is eligible to join the union, even if you are on a temporary contract or still on probation. The only exceptions are Deans, people in upper management roles who decide whether to hire, fire, or discipline employees, or people working in HR.
How does bargaining work?
Employers are legally required to bargain in good faith. This means they have to meet and make every effort to conclude a collective agreement. When an application for union certification is filed with the Labour Board, there is a freeze on all current employment terms and conditions that lasts throughout the time it takes to negotiate the first collective agreement. The company has to carry on ‘business as usual’, and will not be permitted to make any changes to any aspect of your work. For example, if you were scheduled to receive a raise at a certain date, they have to follow through on this, and can’t point to the union to cancel it.
A collective agreement is bargained by a committee who are democratically elected from among the membership. All members are kept informed and have opportunities for input throughout the process, such as via surveys to identify the list of key workplace issues you want addressed, and help prioritize based on which ones are most pressing. Once a tentative agreement is reached it must be approved by a vote of the membership, after which it becomes a legally binding document under which the employer and union mutually agree to operate.
This democratic and inclusive process ensures your voices are heard at the bargaining table and means that members would never bargain for (or vote to ratify) an agreement that leaves everyone worse off.
What are the downsides to joining?
Having a union won’t fix absolutely everything overnight. The goal of the union is to protect what we most care about, with the goal that every new agreement we make results in a better work environment than under the last agreement.
Will we be forced to go on strike?
Strikes are serious, and no one takes them lightly—particularly union members. 97% of collective agreements in Canada are negotiated without a strike. The truth is: striking is a last resort, and in BC, you can’t be forced into a strike you didn’t vote for. A strike can only happen after (1) Bargaining and mediation have failed, and (2) A majority of union members vote in favour of strike action. So if members don’t think a strike is the right path, then it doesn’t happen. You have full control through democratic participation.
How can I get more involved?
Contact PEA Organizer Duncan Pike for a confidential conversation: dpike@pea.org or 416 893 2286.
How unions work
Your collective agreement
You’ll have a collective agreement—a legal contract—that lists the terms and conditions of unionized employees in your place of work. Included in this document are compensation, vacation, hours of work, raises, overtime and more. It will also outline how to handle a situation where the collective agreement isn’t being followed.
- Elected union members negotiate the collective agreement with your employer’s management team, who are excluded from the union. The agreement has a fixed term, usually of a few years, before it must be renegotiated.
- Collective agreements frequently lead to better agreements for employees because they are negotiated in the best interest of all staff. Compensation and treatment of employees will be fair and equitable.
Decisions in the union
You and all union members will elect colleagues to an executive that will work with your employer’s management on everything related to union members. The executive will also be responsible for making sure the employer is following the terms of the collective agreement.
- If the employer is not following the collective agreement, the union will follow the grievance process outlined in the contract.
- A very small percentage (1 per cent) of each member’s pay will go to helping the union run.
- The union will hold meetings several times a year to update members and provide information via email.
Supporting you
Union members will be supported by the PEA every step of the way—negotiating the collective agreement, working with management, moving forward with grievances and learning about being in a union.
- PEA members have access to learning opportunities to help you and your colleagues learn about being in a union and become leaders in your place of work.
- PEA members can call a professional labour relations officer with their concerns or issues in the workplace.
"I couldn‘t have done it if I hadn’t had the union working with me. When it comes to dealing with personal and professional challenges you need to feel there are people on your side."
Former PEA Member, Beth
