School District No. 46 (SD46), represented by BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA), and CUPE Local 801 have ratified agreements for the district’s K-12 support staff.
The 225 education assistants, maintenance workers, custodians, administrators and other support staff affected by the deal will see a general wage increase of two per cent per year over a three-year term starting July 1, 2019, which is the lifespan of the deal.
SD46 and CUPE negotiated to “modestly increase shiftwork premiums, as well as increase standby premiums for maintenance employees to support after-hours service delivery,” according to an Aug. 8 release.
The tentative agreement was reached in June after five bargaining sessions, beginning in March. At that time, CUPE 801 president Janice Budgell said the process “went very well.”
“Our entire bargaining committee was new and we all left feeling it was a positive experience,” said Budgell. “I’m happy with the tentative agreement.”
Other districts to have ratified agreements announced Aug. 8 were Burnaby (SD41) and CUPE Local 379, representing 1,125 employees, as well as the Sea to Sky district (SD48) and CUPE Local 779 with 222 represented employees.
The agreements were ratified under the government’s Sustainable Services Negotiating Mandate, which “supports the government's commitment to improve the services people count on, make life more affordable and invest in sustainable economic growth,” according to the release.
More than 226,000 public sector employees are covered by tentative or ratified agreements reached under the mandate.
