In 1974 UFV (then Fraser Valley College) offered a few classes and, in September of 1975, the first twenty faculty began to offer the beginnings of a comprehensive, lower division curriculum. By the winter of 1976, faculty and staff were meeting to form the Faculty and Staff Association, and on June 14th, 1977, the association became the official bargaining agent for both faculty and staff, certified under the Labour Code of British Columbia.

Employer-employee relations at UFV have been unique in two respects. First, we are one of the very rare associations in Canada that is composed of and acts on behalf of both staff and faculty employees. Over the years, many have commented that the joint staff and faculty association at UFV offers not only a number of practical advantages, but has contributed to an institutional culture where all faculty and staff roles at UFV are respected as being vital to our institutional purpose.

Second, we have a long history at UFV of positive, constructive relations between the UFV Board of Directors, Management and the FSA. The level of mutual respect and co-operation between Management and the FSA is unprecedented at other BC post-secondary institutions. We work together with Management in a problem-solving mode that has served us well over the years and won over the doubters. The UFV-FSA is committed to continue to promote this positive relationship.

In 1980 the then FVC-FSA joined with other colleges and institutes to form what is now called the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE), a province-wide umbrella organization governed by a President’s Council composed of all local association presidents under the guidance of the directives of the Federation’s AGM. Collective bargaining was (and at UFV continues to be) handled locally, while the Federation provided support, expert and legal advice, and facilitated information exchange between the local associations. Increasingly, FPSE has developed into an effective interest group on behalf of post-secondary education, providing the provincial government of the day with research, data, and perspective on a wide range of post-secondary issues. In recent years, FPSE arranges for meetings locally and in Victoria between association presidents and MLA’s, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, ADM’s, Budget Estimate Committees, etc.

During the 1990’s, the provincial government passed legislation which required faculty salary tables to be negotiated province-wide at a central bargaining table. FPSE negotiators represent us in those negotiations. Many FPSE locals negotiate some issues at the central table and others at local tables. Others, including ourselves, have heretofore chosen to negotiate everything the legislation allows to be determined at the local table.

FPSE also maintains a strike fund (currently in excess of 6.5 million dollars) we can draw upon should disputes lead to work stoppages. At UFV, Management and the union have worked hard to establish a culture of co-operation and mutual problem solving; thus we have never gone out on strike in a dispute with our management. We have, however, gone out on province-wide days of protest to put pressure on the government of the day to change its approach to post-secondary issues.