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“Education is one of the most effective economic investments we can make in rural communities, but the B.C. government has failed to make post secondary education a priority,” says BCGEU President Darryl Walker.
Vancouver (06 Feb. 2012) - With an unemployment rate in northern B.C. sitting at 11.5 per cent and layoffs looming at northern colleges, the B.C. government’s vaunted BC Jobs Plan is failing northern communities, unions representing post secondary workers said today.
The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) and the Federation of Post Secondary Educators (FPSE) blame declining post secondary funding and restrictive accounting practices for budget deficits at two northern colleges. Dozens of faculty and support staff have been given layoff notices or Section 54 notices that layoffs will occur. Educational services to local aboriginal communities may also be affected by the service cuts.
“Education is one of the most effective economic investments we can make in rural communities, but the B.C. government has failed to make post secondary education a priority,” says BCGEU President Darryl Walker. “It looks like the government’s BC Jobs Plan has bypassed northern communities.”
Walker noted that per student post secondary funding in B.C. is now 15 per cent below 2001 levels. At the same time, new budget rules prevent post secondary institutions from using past surpluses to cover short-term deficits. Northwest Community College has an accumulated surplus of about $2 million, but can’t use the funds to offset a projected $1.7 million deficit. Northern Lights College also faces a deficit of about $1.6 million for the coming year.
An economic impact study prepared for Northwest Community College shows that the local economy realizes a $4 return for every dollar of taxpayer financial support to the college. Students see annual incomes increase by $109 per year for every credit completed, and the B.C. government saves social costs amounting to over $767,000 a year.
“Underfunding education and deregulating tuition fees has placed a huge financial burden on our post secondary system and has made education unaffordable for many students,” says Walker. “It’s time to reinvest in our post secondary education system, to support local communities and provide skilled workers to our economy.”
Union representatives continue to meet with college management, staff and instructors to mitigate the harm caused by these layoffs.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE