APSA Bargaining Frequently Asked Questions 2022-2024

Please click on each question to see the relevant answers.

1. How does APSA bargaining work?

The APSA Bargaining Committee negotiates with the University. How we bargain is outlined in section 8 of our Basic Agreement. We've also published an infographic on the process.

2. Do the other employee groups have a current contract?

Currently, APSA isn't aware of any SFU employee group that has concluded this round of bargaining.

3. What is PSEC?

The Public Sector Employers’ Council is responsible for the strategic coordination of labour relations, total compensation planning, and human resource management for the broader public sector. It also represents the B.C. government in its role as a partner in public sector pension plans and as a steward to the Canada Pension Plan administered under the Federal Government. It lays out the negotiation mandate that the employee groups and APSA negotiate with the University.

4. What is the mandate?

The PSEC mandate for 2022-2024 is called the Shared Recovery Mandate. The elements of the mandate include:

Key priorities of the 2022 Shared Recovery Mandate include:

Protecting the services that people in British Columbia depend on
Improving health care and preparing for future needs and challenges
Supporting a strong economic recovery that includes everyone in B.C

Elements of the 2022 mandate include:

Three-year term
General wage increases
- Year 1 – a flat increase of $0.25/hour which provides a greater percentage increase for lower paid employees, plus 3.24%
- Year 2 – 5.5% plus a potential Cost of Living Adjustment to a maximum of 6.75% (Maximum 6.75% triggered as of March 21, 2023)
- Year 3 – 2% plus a potential Cost of Living Adjustment to a maximum of 3%
A negotiable Flexibility Allocation of up to 0.25% in years 1 and 2 to support mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties.

5. When will I get a general wage increase (GWI)?

Once bargaining concludes, you should expect to receive from the University any negotiated wage increases plus any other improvements that we can achieve for you.

6. What if we cannot reach an agreement with the University during the first 30 days of our formal bargaining process?

Because APSA is an association under the BC Societies Act, we cannot strike. Per our Basic Agreement with the University, both parties would next enter into arbitration.

The type of arbitration used is called "final offer selection arbitration". In this process, the two parties take their final offers on the outstanding issues to an arbitrator and make their arguments for their respective positions. The arbitrator then chooses one of the two final offers in its entirety. The chosen offer is binding and included in the new agreement. The arbitrator has no authority to add, subtract, or construct any part of the final settlement, only to choose one offer.

7. How long will bargaining take?

Our bargaining process is outlined in our Basic Agreement, but these timelines depend on the availability of the University to begin bargaining and the availability of an arbitrator should negotiations enter into arbitration. We have approached the University regarding a timeline and hope to begin our 30-day negotiation period in July 2023.