Collective Bargaining Updates: What is PSEC?

February 08, 2019
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This is the first of a series of bulletins and updates on the process of Collective Bargaining and our preparation for meeting with our Unions and Association. In this issue we are looking at the role of the Public Sector Employers’ Council (PSEC).

What is PSEC?

Created by statute, this organization includes government ministers and representatives of employers’ associations, working to set and coordinate strategy for human resources and labour relations in public sector organizations. The University Public Sector Employers’ Association, of which Simon Fraser University is a member, is represented on PSEC.

There are over 422,000 people in British Columbia’s public sector, of which more than 326,000 are unionized employees.

PSEC determines the mandate for collective bargaining with all public sector employees, including coordinating union and non-union compensation. All public sector employers are covered by this mandate, which protects the interests of taxpayers by ensuring costs are aligned with the fiscal plan through the budget objectives set by government.  Before the University can reach an agreement in bargaining, it must be approved by PSEC.