In 1973 library and clerical workers on university and college campuses across British Columbia began organizing as a union in order to represent their collective interests. Workers at University of British Columbia (Local 1), Simon Fraser University (Local 2), Notre Dame University of Nelson (Local 3), Capilano College (Local 4), College of New Caledonia (Local 5), and the Teaching Support Staff at S.F.U. (Local 6) organized over the next two years to collectively form the provincial wide and independent union, the Association of University and College Employees (AUCE). When the union formed over ninety percent of its members were women and one of their top concerns was equal pay for what was at the time considered “women’s work”. Over the next decade, they fought for wages to match the rising cost of living, transparent job classifications, maternity leave, childcare, and other employee benefits. They also demanded a discrimination free workplace for people of all genders, sexualities, races, and ethnicities.

The AUCE fonds consists of records related to the Association of University and College Employees' provincial and local chapters activities, efforts, publications, and ephemera. Records span the Provincial and local unions' initial accreditation in 1973, to the Provincial union disbanding in 1985, and then follow the Local 1 (University of British Columbia) chapter through to its merger with CUPE in 1985 and forward into the late 2000's.

The fonds consists of records related to AUCE's provincial and local chapters activities, efforts, publications, and ephemera. Records span the Provincial and local unions' initial accreditation in 1973, to the Provincial union disbanding in 1985, and then follow the Local 1 (University of British Columbia) chapter through to its merger with CUPE in 1985 and forward into the late 2000's. The fonds is comprised of the following series: Executive, Advocacy and Bargaining, Committees, AUCE Local Chapters, Correspondence and Related Material, and Photographs, Publications, News Clippings and Ephemera.

Explore the collection through the following themes:

• ​Executive
• Advocacy and Bargaining
• Committees
• AUCE Local Chapters
• Publications and Ephemera
• Correspondence and related material

Materials are still being digitized and added to the collection.

Due to copyright and privacy concerns, some items have been redacted and others have not been digitized. Please visit the RBSC finding aid to explore the fonds in full.