November 29,1989

138 employees up, 34 down
in college wage proposals
The college has recently completed its
reclassification report for members of
the Vancouver Municipal and Regional

Employees Unions (VMREU), proposing
that 34 employees receive decreases in
pay, 138 be given increases and that 163
employees are already correctly graded.
Here's the background on the reclassi¬
fication process, how the college arrived
at its figures and what to expect should
you decide to appeal the results:

The VMREU and VCC agreed in the
1988-90 contract negotiations that the
college would undertake a review of pay
grades assigned to all classifications.
Although there has been language in the
contract to accommodate reviews on an

individual or group basis, this is the first
time that all positions have been
reviewed en masse.

In determining the accuracy, or
inaccuracy, of the pay grades assigned to
each job classification, the college asked
each employee to complete a job
questionnaire. In addition, the college
did 150 face-to-face interviews with
people who were representative of the
general job category in which they
worked. The employee's supervisor was
asked to attest to the accuracy of the
answers on the questionnaire.

The college established seven factors
for evaluating each position. Under the

direction of Labour Relations Assistant
Sharon McClure, the college then used a
point system to rate each position within
each factor. The positions of all employ¬
ees were then assigned to classifications,
grouping those which are substantially
the same.

Next, on the basis of total points and a
comparison of salary rates for compa¬
rable, benchmark positions within other
institutes in the Lower Mainland, the
classifications were assigned to pay
grades. ("Other institutes", as defined
by the collective agreement, are Lower
Mainland colleges, institutes and school
boards,including those in the Fraser
Valley. UBC and SFU are not included).
The factors are,
1. Knowledge, with the subsets of
education and experience. In this
criterion, employees received anywhere
from one to 50 points. For example, an
employee would need a B.A. degree and
extensive experience to receive 50
points.
2. Work complexity, with the subsets
of problem solving and initiative. Again,
the point spread was from one to 50.
3. Physical requirements, with the
subsets of manual skill and physical
effort. Abilities at key-boarding would
be an example of manual skill; moving
and lifting heavy items would draw

points for physical effort. Points ranged
from zero to 13.
4. Contact with others, both internal
and external. Zero for negligible, up to
15 for substantial.
5. Impact of decisions, with the subsets
of magnitude and risk of errors. Finan¬
cial implications were paramount here; a
key-boarding typographical error that is

likely to get caught by a superior has
much less impact than a computer set-up
mistake that affects payroll. Zero to 23.
6. Supervision, with the subsets of

responsibility for the work of others and/
or the safety of others. Zero to 28, with
the top mark going to someone who has
responsibility for the supervision and
safety of a group of people.
7. Work environment. Regular expo¬
sure to disagreeable factors such as a
laboratory setting would dictate more
points than a clerical or office setting.
Zero to seven.

The college has rewritten all job
classifications in accordance with this
process and submitted them to the

VMREU-along with the specific
reclassification (factor) data for each
employee.
It is to be noted that these documents
are proposals only and may, through the
VMREU, be appealed by any employee.
See next page
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VMREU continued from page 1

There are up to three steps in the
appeal process. The first step involves a
review of the dispute between

the VMREU and the VCC Employee
Relations Department; the second step
calls for a review of the disputed

proposal specifically by Employee
Relations Director Dale Jones and
VMREU Business Manager Ray Haynes.
If resolution is not reached at the second
stage, the issue is referred to binding
arbitration through arbitrator Dalton
Larson.

Jones estimates that disputes requiring
arbitration will be settled within six
months. Wage increases are retroactive
to April 1, 1989. If a decrease is found to
be in order, the employee's wages will
be frozen until the regular, negotiated
increases catch up to the employee's

Betty Nobel appointed ABE Division Chair
Paul Gallagher, President, and Lawrence Fast, Principal King Edward Campus, are

pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth (Betty) Nobel to the position of
Division Chair for the Adult Basic Education Division at King Edward Campus.
Nobel has been acting in this position.
Since 1981, Nobel has been an instructor in and coordinator of the College's programs
for Visually-Impaired Adults. From 1975 to 1980, she was an instructor of French with
Continuing Education.
Nobel holds a B.A. (French), Diploma in Adult Education, and BC Teaching Certificate
all from UBC.
She is past president of the BC Vision Teachers Association and of the Association of
Educators and Rehabilitators for the Blind and Visually-Impaired. She is currently on
the Board of Directors of the CNIB (B.C. Yukon Division).

current level.

Each VMREU member is asked by the
union to respond to the union in writing
regarding his or her proposal by Decem¬
ber 15. VMREU representative Jim
Gorman said the union "has not agreed
with this (VCC's) rating system."
"We will be having further discussions
with VCC concerning this," said
Gorman.

Want to keep up
on all of the
activities
across VCC?
Although you regularly get the news¬
letter from your own campus, the news¬

letters from the other two campuses are
now available at your mailroom.
The three campus-based papers are
Langara's By the Way, KEC Times and
VVI Insider.

Dr. Bert Wales-the "father of VCC"--

addressed KEC Awards Day ceremonies last
Thursday, capping a busy week of celebration
at the campus.
Dr. Wales was introduced by Associate Dean
of Student Services Gerry Sylvester as VCC's
first principal and the "man who almost
single-handedly built VCC".
Dr. Wales said that establishment of VCC
was a struggle with all three levels of
government and urged graduating students to
provide support for the college throughout
their adulthood.
"You younger people and we older ones
must keep up our determination to make
education a lifelong process," he said.
He urged the students to "never lose the
twinkle in your eye" over education.
During KEC Days on Wednesday, folksmger
David Campbell provided a musical interlude,
while ESL Department Head Pat Kennedy
(right) and Barbara Gray-Richards discussed
the ESL Action Plan.

J