Agreement improves benefits, includes wage increases
Education support staff in B.C.’s public schools reached a tentative contract with the province on June 7.
The five-year agreement provides wages increases within the province’s economic stability program, the BC Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA) said.
CUPE represents 27,000 of the 34,000 workers covered by the agreement. The union reports the agreement also includes improved benefits for its members.
“We bargained hard to arrive at a settlement that recognizes and respects the work our members do and improves the learning environment for students in B.C. schools,” said Rob Hewitt, CUPE K-12 sector coordinator.
School support staff — including education assistants, school secretaries, caretakers, First Nations support workers, IT workers, trades and maintenance workers, and bus drivers — have yet to ratify the proposed agreement.
CUPE members will vote on the provincial agreement as part of their package when the respective school boards conclude local bargaining.
