School District 53 CUPE members Ratification Vote
Collective Agreement June 2022-2025yr.
On Dec 9,2022 ratification vote took place, I am here to tell you that the Ratification vote for our new Collective Agreement for June 2022-2025 has passed with 74% in favor!
I am excited to share with you all what was bargained in this round of bargaining.
Attached (below) is a document with the main points from the new agreement, as well as the pay grid scale from the Provincial Framework Agreement pay increases.
Also, the union is hoping that Retro pay will be given in the beginning of the year 2023!
If you have questions about our new contract, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Have a wonderful Holiday and I hope the best for you and your family!!
Attachments:
SD53 Bargaining Results 2022
Wage Grid SD53
Sincerely,
Charlene Turnbull
Unit Chair SD53
250-485-7302
Unit53@cupe523.com
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SD67 Ratification Results
Hello All;
I am so happy to relay that our CA has been ratified and has passed with an overwhelming 97% YES vote.
I am attaching (below) a document with main points from the new agreement, as well as copies of the wage grid as they reflect the Provincial Framework Agreement pay increases.
Finally, our employer has let me know that all retro pay will be deposited into your account, along with your paycheque on December 23, 2022. Excellent news!
If there are questions regarding the CA (or anything else) please do not hesitate to contact me. Please know though, that you may not hear back from me until after the Christmas break.
I wish everyone a very happy and restful holiday.
Sincerely;
Terri Phillips
Unit Chair SD67
Local 523
250-488-6968
ATTACHMENTS:
Main points from the new agreement
Wage Grid – 2022-1
Wage Grid – 2022-2
Wage Grid – 2022-3
Wage Grid – 2022-4
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The physical contract will take several months to print and be distributed to those who want a copy. Sooner than that the new contract will be available online, but we do not have a date for that yet. We will be receiving retro pay for our Provincial wage increase July 1 2022.
Changes or additions to the contract: (I will not list the housekeeping ones, such as moving of a clause from one place to another in the CA, or changing she/he too they, etc.)
- A land acknowledgement will be added to the CA
- Temporary employees will attain their seniority after 65 working days, as opposed to the old threshold of 109 days (about 3 and a half months).
- National Day of Truth and Reconciliation has been added to the list of holidays (paid for, but not worked.)
- Indigenous employees are entitled to up to two (2) days leave with pay per school year to observe or participate in traditional Indigenous activities that connect these employees to their culture and language.
- All REGULAR non clerical employees shall be reimbursed up to $200 dollars for district approved clothing and footwear upon submission of receipt. This is a yearly benefit. Employees may purchase their clothing from ANY SOURCE. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE EMPLOYER AND IS ONLY FOR CLOTHES THAT MAY BE SPECIALY REQUIRED FOR A JOB. FOR EXAMPLE, CERTAIN SHOES FOR CUSTODIANS. STEEL TOED BOOTS FOR MAINTENANCE. BATHING SUITS FOR EA’S. THIS IS NOT JUST GENERAL CLOTHING ALLOWANCE. IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT, ASK BEFORE YOU PURCHASE.
- Education Assistants assigned to work with students regularly will be consulted on the implementation and/or revision of the applicable Student Safet Plans.
- Vacations may be arranged in any months of the calendar year for 12-month employees.
- 6 sick days to 8 sick days- after the employee will receive 66 2/3% of their regular pay for a period of not to exceed one hundred twenty days. (120) Start date: July 1, 2024.
- Temporary employees not on the seniority list shall be paid each pay period six percent 6% of bi-weekly in lieu of vacation.
- Two-day (2) Childbirth leave
- A flat rate premium of $15 dollars will be provided to Casual school-based support staff to certain schools. January 1, 2023
- The employer shall allow for dual coverage and coordination of benefits.
- Wage premiums for Library Clerk, Meal’s Program Worker, QT Mechanic, and HVAC technician.
- Service Improvement fund- Provide additional hours of work/ provide access to professional learning opportunities.
If there are questions about the CA (or anything else), please contact me.
In Solidarity
Courtney Thomson
83 Unit Chair, Unit83@cupe523.com, 604-854-0423 (Cell)
I Acknowledge that we live, work and gather on the unceded territories of the Okanagan/Sqilixw/Syilx and Splatsin People:
SD83 Ratification letter- 2023
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View/Print: SD83 – Ratification Vote Jan 2023
A tentative agreement has been reached
between the SD53 bargaining team
(Employer and the Union team)
What does this mean?–
SD53 Members will be invited to a unit ratification meeting to vote on the tentative agreement. (details below).
– This meeting is for ALL School District 53 support staff.
– Just a heads up that the new contract cannot and will not be printed before the ratification. The ratification vote needs to pass before the new contract can be done. This process will be explained to all at the ratification meeting.
– The details of the tentative agreement will not be discussed before the meeting as the Bargaining/Negotiations team need to uphold the confidentiality piece. Thank you all for your understanding on this.
MEETING DETAILS
Friday December 9th
in Oliver at the Annex Building, 6161 Okanagan Street, Oliver
Times for the meeting:
(You only need to attend one of the following meeting times).
10:00am – 12:00 Noon – Time Slot One
3:00pm – 5:00pm – Time Slot Two
6:00pm – 8:00pm – Time Slot Three
(Each of these meetings will be the same. Come listen to the changes, questions and answer period, and then vote on the changes.) Even though the ratification vote is through the work day, please do not leave work to come, please come when you are not working.
This is an in person meeting only and you need to be at the meeting to vote. This vote will be a secret ballot vote. The tentative agreement will not be shared electronically before the ratification day. You need to be at the in person meeting to see the tentative agreement and to vote. Results of the vote will be advertised after all the meetings are done. Again you must be there to vote.
Thank you to the SD53 Bargaining/Negotiations team for all your hard work. A reminder the team for SD53 are as follows: Unit Chair – Charlene Turnbull, Shop Steward – Melanie Harriman, Local 523 Secretary Treasurer – Kyle Clark, Local 523 President – Tammy Carter.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting and please bring your collogues and friends to vote on this tentative agreement.
PRINT PDF: SD67 Notice of Meeting – Ratification VOTING Dec2022,
Backgrounder: Collective Bargaining 2022:
Process and timeline for bargaining in K-12 public education
2022 Provincial Framework Agreement Collective Bargaining
For support staff collective bargaining, boards of education bargain directly with their union locals at the school district level. To support local negotiations, the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions (consisting of support staff union representatives) bargains with BCPSEA at the provincial level to develop a Provincial Framework Agreement. This agreement in principle deals with key province-wide matters (including compensation). The Provincial Framework Agreement traditionally forms part of, and is integrated into, the memoranda of settlement negotiated at the school district level.
For further information about 2022 collective bargaining in the K-12 sector please see Collective Bargaining 2022 – Backgrounder – Process and Timeline.
March 10, 2022
Following eight days of bargaining for a renewed Provincial Framework Agreement for support staff in K-12 public education, the parties have determined that it would be beneficial to pause bargaining for the time being.
The parties negotiated respectfully on a variety of important topics.
BCPSEA recognizes the important work that unionized support staff perform for students and our communities not only every day, but also their effort and dedication to their roles throughout the pandemic response. We appreciate the good working relationship we have with the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions.
February 23, 2022
BCPSEA and the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions met three times last week on February 15, 16 and 17, 2022. Productive conversations continued on many topics. Tentative agreements were reached on several issues.
There are three more days scheduled for bargaining of the Provincial Framework Agreement: March 1, 2 and 3, 2022. At these sessions we will continue the cooperative negotiations of the first six bargaining sessions.
February 15, 2022
Last week marked the first three days of Provincial Framework Agreement (PFA) discussions. BCPSEA and the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions met on February 8, 9 and 10, 2022. We had productive and cooperative conversations on a variety of issues.
Three days of bargaining are scheduled for this week – February 15, 16, and 17, 2022. We look forward to the continued collaborative negotiations.
January 26, 2022
BCPSEA and the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions have set nine (9) days to conduct the Provincial Framework Agreement (PFA) discussions. The PFA sets the General Wage Increases and other compensation issues, and addresses provincial initiatives, such as the Support Staff Education Committee, the Job Evaluation Committee, and a standardized Extended Health Benefits plan.
Bargaining dates are: February 8-10, February 15-17, and March 1-3.
Once a PFA is successfully concluded, the PFA will then need to be adopted at each local support staff table as part of local bargaining.
Bargaining continues, pivotal meeting ahead
The K-12 provincial bargaining committee met this week with their counterparts from the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association for another three days of discussions.
Talks continued on a wide range of topics during face-to-face, safely distanced meeting. Agreements were tentatively reached at the table on several non-monetary issues for a new provincial framework agreement.
Bargaining will resume with three more days of talks scheduled for March 1st through to the 3rd. The K-12 committee expects this to be a pivotal phase of bargaining and are planning to tackle our significant monetary proposals.
The K-12 committee remains committed to reaching a deal at the table. From the start of this round, the K-12 bargaining committee has been clear that the top priority for K-12 school support workers is the need for wage increases that recognize the vital role they play in our communities. A renewed provincial framework agreement will greatly depend on advancement on this issue.
Following this next bargaining session with BCPSEA, the bargaining committee will be meeting with the K-12 Presidents Council to either ratify a tentative agreement or to discuss strategies for next steps in the bargaining process. Members should watch for that bulletin at bcschools.cupe.ca, directly from your local, and on our social media – @cupek12bc.
View PDF
Bargaining Update – Provincial bargaining begins for K-12 sector
Bargaining for a new provincial framework agreement for K-12 school support workers began this week. The K-12 provincial bargaining committee met with their counterparts from the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association for three days of face-to-face, safely distanced discussions.
The K-12 bargaining committee tabled a comprehensive set of proposals, based on the priorities set out by K-12 locals and the provincial bargaining survey. In opening the talks, the committee had a clear message for what needs to be accomplished in this round bargaining.
“School support staff have done an exceptional job keeping our schools clean, healthy, and open for students during the pandemic, in particular for the children of emergency support workers, and vulnerable students,” says Paul Simpson, president of the K-12 Presidents Council and chair of the bargaining committee. “But after two years, support staff are now exhausted and need meaningful solutions to their urgent issues. The top issue among them – the need for fair and reasonable wages that recognize the vital role school support workers play in our communities.”
The first meetings were very productive, with constructive and cooperative discussions on a wide range of issues. Both committees voiced a strong desire to reach an agreement at the table that will lay the groundwork for a successful local bargaining to follow across the province.
The bargaining committees will be meeting again next week for another three days, and then again March 1 – 3. The K-12 bargaining committee will be sending out regular bulletins as negotiations progress. Watch for them at bcschools.cupe.ca, directly from your local, and on our social media – @cupek12bc.
View PDF.
K-12 Bargaining Update:
Ready to bargain: first day Feb. 8
After months of training, research, consultations and discussions, the K-12 sector provincial bargaining committee is confident it’s ready to start negotiations. This week, the K-12 Presidents Council gave its overwhelming endorsement to the bargaining committee’s proposals and priorities for a provincial framework agreement.
Guided by the results of the provincial bargaining survey, the top bargaining priority will be fair wages that recognize the expertise, experience, and dedication of the provinces over 30,000 school support workers.
The bargaining committee met for several days in January to review the provincial bargaining survey results and draft proposals to best address the concerns raised by members.
The message from the survey and input from K-12 local presidents is clear – school support workers need and deserve fair wages and supports to keep providing vital services to this province’s students, families, schools, and communities.
Contract talks for the Provincial Framework Agreement will begin on February 8 and continue until March 3.
The bargaining committee will open negotiations with the B.C. Public School Employers Association on February 8th, with nine days of negotiations scheduled between then and March 3rd.
The bargaining committee will be sending out regular bulletins as negotiations progress. Watch for them at bcschools.cupe.ca, directly from your local, and on our social media – @cupek12bc.
The K12 sector provincial bargaining committee includes elected representatives from each region. They are:
Paul Simpson, Chair
Metro:
Christina Forsyth
Daun Frederickson
Dave Bollen
Tammy Murphy
Warren Williams
Francine Brisson (alternate)
South Island:
Amber Leonard
Jane Massy
Paul Knapik (alternate)
North Island:
Denise Bullock
Jeff Virtanen
Andrew Schneider (alternate)
Fraser Valley:
Jason Franklin
Tracey O’Hara
Tracey Dahlin (alternate)
Okanagan:
Gray Boisvert
Tammy Carter
James Fox (alternate)
Kootenays:
Michelle Bennett
Pattie Pocha
Heather Skarbo (alternate)
North:
Jeanette Beauvillier
Monica Brady
Ken Evans (alternate)
Other support staff unions:
Haemant Sawh
Tim DeVivo
The committee will be assisted by a team of CUPE National staff.
View PDF.
Fill out your K-12 provincial bargaining survey TODAY!
With bargaining for the K-12 Provincial Framework Agreement approaching, your Provincial Bargaining Committee needs your input on bargaining priorities.
We are asking you to please CLICK HERE to fill out this survey.
It should only take about 15-20 minutes of your time. This survey is your chance to have a say on the priorities of your Provincial Bargaining Committee.
Some survey questions that are included are personal in nature. This is so that we can gain a better understanding of the demographics and needs of our membership and more effectively ensure that employers respect your rights.
All answers will be kept CONFIDENTIAL by CUPE, and they WILL NOT be shared with the employer or any other union members.
The Provincial Bargaining Committee includes representatives from all regions of B.C. and has developed this survey for all K-12 support staff across the province. The survey results will provide guidance for the Provincial Bargaining Committee as we develop our bargaining proposals.
Your answers will be kept confidential, and they will be invaluable to your bargaining committee. The results will also be shared with your Local to help inform bargaining at your Local table. We want to hear your voice!
The survey will be open until December 17, 2021.
You can access the survey here: survey-sondage.cupe.ca/index.php/664693
Thank you in advance from your Provincial Bargaining Committee!