TRU board ratifies deal with faculty

Feb 15, 2016 | 10:40 AM

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University and its faculty association have officially reached a deal.

This morning, February 15, the school’s Board of Governors voted to ratify a set of recommendations put forward last week by mediator Mark Brown, a proposal that was made after a strike vote by TRUFA, and weeks of failed mediation.

TRUFA President Tom Friedman says he’s not at all surprised the board voted to ratify, considering the deal is in line with the university’s government-mandated negotiating position.

Friedman adds there is still a lot of work to do to mend fences.

“We have to work on creating a better labour relations environment at the university, and the mediator made this clear in his recommendations, he called on the parties to work collegially toward addressing some of the issues that went unresolved at the bargaining table,” said Friedman.

Last week, TRUFA members voted 91 per cent in favour of accepting the mediator’s recommendations.

The deal is for five years, retroactive to April 1, 2014, and includes a 5.5 per cent wage increase.