VIU and faculty association reach tentative agreement

Vancouver Island University faculty will be voting on a three-year tentative agreement that would last until March 31, 2025. Photo courtesy of VIU.

Vancouver Island University has reached a deal with its faculty association.

The three-year contract will last until March 31, 2025 as faculty have been working without a contract since April 1, 2022.

The tentative agreement covers approximately 688 VIU employees who are members of the faculty association.

Faculty Association president Gara Pruesse says the union is happy to have a tentative agreement.

“I think that students should be pleased that we've reached an agreement that will improve the working conditions for faculty, who have been under considerable strain due to their working conditions,” she said. “That can only be a good thing for students.”

An email from the university to all VIU employees says that the tentative agreement aligns with the provincial government’s 2022 Shared Recovery Mandate and VIU’s People Plan commitments to wellness and equity.

The ratification vote for the tentative agreement will be completed on Thursday, January 11 and details about the deal will be released after that time.

Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.