The prize pool currently has $760,000 per year, but by July 2021, this amount will increase to $2 million per year. In addition, various new processes in the university`s agreement will help the university support its staff more transparently. The Association of Administrative and Professional Officers (AAPS) and uBC have negotiated a new interim collective agreement that is in effect until June 30, 2022. The collective agreement also includes a larger amount that UBC employees can obtain for professional development. Many workers faced the problem of access to this professional development fund, but found that the fund was exhausted before they could receive the necessary training. «For the current agreement, we have effectively conducted an extensive consultation process with AAPS members, discussed with many of them and received written feedback … And we have prioritized some changes in the agreement based on these returns,» said Joey Hansen, AAPS executive director and negotiator since 2015. It was a very, very difficult round of negotiations, it took a long time,» Hansen said. «But…
I think we have an agreement that makes the university a truly, really important investment for its management and its professional staff. «I also believe that there are new mechanisms in the collective agreement that will allow us to address these issues in the future, because the resolution of these many human rights issues has been both very time-consuming and very costly for AAPS,» Hansen said. I am pleased to announce that the UBC Board of Governors has ratified the new collective agreement. We appreciate the speed with which the university was able to ratify the new agreement. The agreement also provides for formal land recognition, better access to professional development opportunities and a higher parental leave allowance for all parents. The agreement is still only provisional and will ideally be ratified by the AAPS Board of Directors and the UBC Board of Governors at an upcoming session. UBC declined to comment on the negotiations until it was ratified. The last collective agreement was in effect from 2014 to 2019. While efforts have been made to protect staff, it has also enabled AAPS and UBC to address some challenges in the development of their new agreement. AAPS represents more than 4,000 UBC employees and improves their working conditions through collective bargaining and dispute resolution. Some important changes in the agreement are gender-neutral and integrational language throughout the proposal, a commitment to address existing wage gaps, and a new process for employees to take a break from spiritual, religious and cultural celebrations. Members who wish to take parental leave will have more information in the coming months about how the new collective agreement will be implemented, particularly for members who currently have an appointment with UBC. We will send an email to members with updates as they become available.
