WEB UPDATE: CNC negotiations fail to settle labour dispute

The news from the negotiating front was not good Thursday for the College of New Caledonia.

But, for the moment, unions representing support staff at CNC and several other B.C. colleges won't be walking off the job again.

CUPE local presidents representing college support staff across the province conferred late Thursday and decided their members will report to work tomorrow. This was despite

CUPE's B.C. college co-ordinator Ian McLean leaving a Thursday afternoon meeting in Vancouver disappointed after failing to reach an agreement with the Post-Secondary Employers' Association bargaining team.

"We certainly have no settlement in place but the Employer's Association has indicated there's a willingness to bargain," said McLean. "They have opened the door to some discussions about money but we might not like where their money's going to go.

"We will have [more] discussions but I don't believe it will change the minds of our members and I'm not optimistic. I'm not happy with the discussions but... we'll see what our direction will be. We could withdraw our services any time and we don't take that lightly. It's not something we want to do, but our bargaining council will make that decision."

Lily Bachan, president of CUPE Local 4951, which represents 345 operational support staff at six CNC campuses, said the college would be "functioning as normal" Friday. However, she said the 72-hour strike notice issued to CNC remains in effect.

She said she will be heading to Vancouver for discussions with other CUPE college local presidents next week.

Bachand's members have been without a contract since June 2010. Support staff are asking for wage increases of two per cent in each of the next two years - 2012-13 and 2013-14 - to settle a four-year deal after two years of net-zero increases.

After voting 84 per cent a week ago in favour of strike action, CNC staff picketed their campuses Tuesday and Wednesday, an action supported by CNC's unionized instructors, which forced the college to close.

McLean said there are no new meetings planned between CUPE and the government's bargaining team.

"This was a one-shot meeting, they were outlining where we were at," said McLean. "It wasn't doom and gloom but it wasn't what we were seeking. There are some other options available and we'll see if our members are interested."

CNC communications director Randall Heidt said he was awaiting word from the college's bargaining representative at Vancouver before any comment would be offered.