Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC

"It's a long time coming, but we are glad to see this policy change is finally going to happen," said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators. Ms. Oliver was reacting to news out of Victoria that the provincial government would eliminate tuition fees for Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs delivered in BC public post-secondary institutions.

"We have been lobbying for this change for close to four years and it's great to see those efforts are finally paying off," said Oliver.

"We can't keep ignoring the basic fact: a majority of British Columbians think post-secondary education tuition fees are too high," said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE). Along with representatives from the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), Ms. Oliver was releasing the results of a FPSE poll on post-secondary education issues conducted by Ipsos Reid.

"According to this poll about 55 percent of British Columbians think that post-secondary tuition fees are too high.

The President of Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees' Association, Sharon McIvor, has won an important legal victory in the BC Supreme Court. On June 11, 2007 the court released its decision on an application first made by Ms. McIvor in July 1990.

In its decision, the B.C. Supreme Court wiped out one of the most contentious aspects of the federal Indian Act, striking down part of Ottawa's definition of a status Indian and opening the door to hundreds of thousands of new applications for native services.

Following two months of intense bargaining with post-secondary education employers, the FPSE Provincial Bargaining Council is recommending members vote in favour of a new three-year deal.

Following two months of intense bargaining with post-secondary education employers, the FPSE Provincial Bargaining Council is recommending members vote in favour of a new three-year deal.

"At a time when we need to make post-secondary education more affordable and accessible and we have the budget surplus to achieve those goals, Premier Campbell has squandered the opportunity to make that happen," said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) which represents more than 10,000 faculty and staff in BC's post-secondary education system.

"At a time when we need to make post-secondary education more affordable and accessible and we have the budget surplus to achieve those goals, Premier Campbell has squandered the opportunity

The deadline to apply to purchase service that occurred before March 1, 2002 is the earlier of March 31, 2007, or termination of current employment with a College Pension Plan employer. If you do not apply by the deadline, you will lose the opportunity to purchase those periods of past service.

What can you purchase?

You may be entitled to purchase past service such as:

Chronic underfunding by the Provincial Government and skyrocketing tuition fees block access, say students and instructors

"It may be back-to-school week for thousands of post-secondary students, but this latest poll suggests it should be back to the drawing board for the BC Liberals' post-secondary education policies," said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE), a union representing over 10,000 faculty and staff in BC's colleges, universities and institutes.

In a decision that will have important benefits for all locals, labour arbitrator Vince Ready has ruled that a letter of understanding and ensuing process and criteria document dealing with professional development is subject to the grievance provisions in our collective agreements.

In a decision that will have important benefits for all locals, labour arbitrator Vince Ready has ruled that a letter of understanding and ensuing process and criteria document dealing with professional development is subject to the grievance provisions in our collective agreements.

"The most effective tool we have to stop post-secondary employers from exploiting contingent academic labour is collective bargaining and collective agreements," said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators. Oliver was speaking to the Conference on Contingent Academic Labour that was held in Vancouver on August 11-13.

"Holding governments accountable for proper funding of much-needed programs is never easy, but this latest announcement shows our lobby efforts are starting to have an impact," said Cindy Oliver, President of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE). Oliver was referring to a mid-July announcement from the Ministry of Advanced Education that funding for Developmental Education programs would be increased by close to $4 million in the coming months.