UVic union staff push back against parking fee increases

A parking lot at the University of Victoria is pictured. Aug. 9, 2022. (CTV News)

Five unions representing more than 5,000 University of Victoria (UVic) staff have reignited a petition asking the university to reconsider a planned change from annual to monthly parking passes starting Sept. 1.

The unions say the change will see the cost of a monthly permit jump from the current $50 to $75. They say the parking cost is a 50 percent increase to on-campus parking fees that will rise from $600 to $900 annually.

"That’s $300 you don’t have to spend, or can’t spend, on groceries [or] on health and welfare," said UVic CUPE Local 951 president Kirk Mercer.

"These are all things that have to be taken into account when you talk about any increases," he said.

"We’ve just come out of a pandemic, the cost of living is going through the roof and this is just one added measure that isn’t necessary."

PROPOSED COMPROMISE

In April, UVic announced that it would discontinue annual parking passes and move to monthly permits.

According to the university, the planned change would allow for greater choice for commuters "including the Flex 25 pass, which offers 25 daily single-use general parking passes with no expiration date."

Mercer says after the petition was launched in June, the university introduced a compromise to the planned parking fee change.

The union president says UVic offered a three-year phased implementation of the new fee structure for current permit holders that earn less than $68,000 a year. The proposed compromise would see current parking pass users pay $60 per month in 2022, $70 in 2023 and $75 in 2024.

Mercer says any increase to the cost of parking for the technical trades workers, childcare and office staff that he represents is not financially sustainable.

"The majority of our members were working from home and remotely during 2020 and 2021, so a lot of them never renewed their annual passes," said Mercer.

"These are the members that are going to be impacted the most because they are not given the option of a reduced rate."

Mercer says the unions representing UVic staff are asking that the increase in parking fees be linked to the cost of living, which is pegged by the labour organizations at eight per cent.

"The cost of living is at eight per cent and that would be a more realistic increase, not 50 per cent or even 20 and 30 per cent," said Mercer.

The municipality is seeking public feedback from residents about their current parking habits and requirements. (CTV News)

In an emailed statement to CTV News, UVic said people who need parking at the university can save money by using a parking lot further from the center of campus, like the ones located at the Ian Stewart Complex or Lamb Circle.

It goes on to say that "switching to monthly permits will allow the user to consider how they travel to campus and where they wish to park, which can reduce their cost and contribute to the [university’s] sustainability goals."

"Reduced rates are also available for members who have accessibility requirements and need to park closer to their work or classroom buildings," said UVic parking and transportation manager Patrick Seward.

"While we understand that not everyone agrees with the change in parking fees at UVic, we believe encouraging people to use different modes of transportation is one of the ways UVic and our campus community can contribute to a more sustainable future for our community and the planet," he said.

The unions representing UVic staff want the university to cancel the planned changes and are planning a direct outreach campaign with faculty, staff and students in the coming months.

"This is a significant increase for many of our members when they need to put food on the tables for their families," said Mercer.

The unions' petition can be found online. The upcoming parking changes at the university can be found on the UVic website.