Victoria: More than 3,000 support staff workers in six school districts are the first to ratify new five-year agreements under the B.C. government’s 2014 Economic Stability Mandate.
- SD 41 (Burnaby) – 1,328 support staff workers (CUPE Local 379)
- SD 71 (Comox Valley) – 588 support staff workers (CUPE local 439)
- SD 84 (Vancouver Island West) – 63 support staff workers (CUPE local 2769)
- SD 62 (Sooke) – 584 support staff workers (CUPE local 459)
- SD 47 (Powell River) – 160 support staff workers (CUPE local 476)
- SD 45 (West Vancouver) – 415 for both support staff workers and members of the West Vancouver municipal Employee Association.
The term of the new agreement for each district is from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2019. It provides for a modest 5.5% wage increase over the five years of the term, with potential for additional increases if the B.C. economy exceeds the annual forecasts set by the Economic Forecast Council during the last four years of the agreement.
Within 30 days of ratification of a new collective agreement by a board of education, the local union and BCPSEA, the board will reimburse each employee for all scheduled hours that the employee and has not otherwise been paid during the BCTF strike.
These six districts are the first to have fully ratified agreements in place for support staff workers. The remaining districts are working to ratify agreements by November.
The government’s Economic Stability Mandate provides public-sector employers the ability to negotiate longer-term agreements within a fixed fiscal envelope, and offers employees an opportunity to participate in the province’s economic growth through the Economic Stability Dividend. Settlements are expected to be unique and to reflect priorities negotiated to ensure labour stability and affordable service delivery throughout B.C.
