CNC support staff endorse deal

Support staff at the College of New Caledonia have agreed to a new two-year contract that will boost salaries two per cent in each of those years.

A 90 per cent majority of CUPE Local 4951 members voted Wednesday night in favour of the new deal, which will give them a series of four one-percent wage hikes over the life of the contract.

The collective agreement will be put to a final ratification vote of CNC's board of governors on Jan. 25, then will have to meet the final approval of the Post Secondary Employers Association.

Talks broke down in late November and staff set up picket lines for two days that forced the college to close at all six of its campuses.

"The CUPE Local 4951 bargaining team put a lot of effort into this process and we are delighted it was approved so overwhelmingly by our members," said CUPE Local 4951 president Lily Bachand.

CUPE Local 4951 represents about 325 operational staff at CNC's main campus in Prince George and its five regional campuses in Mackenzie, Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Quesnel and Burns Lake. That includes CNC custodians, cafeteria staff, day care workers, administrative assistants, project planners, admissions and continuing education staff, and employees of the bookstores and print rooms, who have been without a contract since June 2010.

"Obviously, we are very happy that such a large percentage of union members voted in favour of the contract," said Randall Heidt, CNC director of communications and development.