CUPE 2278 officials representing teaching assistants walked
out of a mediation session late this morning after the University
of B.C. tabled a 10 per cent salary increase proposal. CUPE
2278 officials did not respond to the proposal. No further
talks have been scheduled.
In an effort to break a bargaining deadlock, UBC today tabled
an offer through mediator Mark Brown to increase the wages
of its striking teaching assistants by 10 per cent over three
years.
CUPE 2278 members currently receive the third-highest annual
salary of all Canadian universities, and pay the lowest tuition
in the country. Teaching assistants, graduate students who
typically work for 12 hours per week, would receive an hourly
rate of $26.49 under the offer made to union officials today.
The university’s previous offer was a seven per cent increase.
"UBC has maintained all along that our goal is to bring
the wages of our teaching assistants to market levels,"
said Scott Macrae, Director of Public Affairs. "A double-digit
offer is virtually unprecedented at a time when B.C. public
sector increases are in the zero per cent range. UBC is making
this offer to keep teaching assistants competitive with peer
universities across Canada."
CUPE 2278 leaders have demanded free tuition for their members.
"Wages are part of the collective agreement with CUPE
2278, and subject to negotiation," Macrae said. "Tuition
is a matter for all students, and is therefore totally outside
the collective agreement."
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