The Post-Secondary Employers' Association announced Thursday it has ratified four-year contracts for support staff at the College of New Caledonia (CUPE Local 4951) and Douglas College (BCGEU Local 703).

The new collective agreement will boost salaries at both colleges two per cent over the next two years, applied in four one per cent increments.

"These agreements show that the co-operative gains mandate is working and savings can be found within existing budgets to fund modest wage increases," said John Yap, Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology.

"I would like to recognize the efforts of the College of New Caledonia and Douglas College in reaching these agreements."

CUPE Local 4951 represents CNC's 325 operational staff -- custodians, cafeteria/bookstore/printroom staff, day care workers, administrative assistants, project planners, admissions and continuing education employees in Prince George and at regional campuses in Mackenzie, Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Quesnel and Burns Lake.

CNC support staff had been working without a contract since March 2010. The union set up picket lines in November, closing all at all six CNC campuses for two days.

The province has applied the co-operative gains mandate to all public sector unions whose contracts expired on or after Dec. 31, 2011. The strategy requires unions to find savings within existing budgets to pay for wage hikes or benefits improvements.

More than half of the 300,000 unionized public service workers employed at Crown corporations and agencies, public and post-secondary schools, and health and community social services sectors are now working under negotiated settlements.