VANCOUVER – The K-12 Presidents’ Council today ratified the provincial framework agreement it negotiated on behalf of education support workers with the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA).
“Every region of the province was represented at the bargaining table,” said K-12 Presidents’ Council Chair Marcel Marsolais. “The ratification gives us a really good sense that the majority of locals are satisfied with moving this forward to the next step, which is to get local bargaining done and ratified at the local level.”
The provincial framework agreement will now form the basis of local agreements between K-12 local unions and their respective school boards. CUPE members will vote on the provincial agreement as part of their package after local bargaining with their respective school board concludes.
“We’re pleased that the Presidents’ Council agreed with the provincial bargaining committee,” said CUPE K-12 Sector Coordinator Rob Hewitt. “Because the government is fully funding all increases contained in the agreement, it should relieve some pressure on bargaining for school districts.”
The K-12 Presidents’ Council represents K-12 support staff unions, with CUPE being the largest. Individual locals will have until November 30, 2014 to ratify the contracts with their respective school districts in order to be included in the provincial framework agreement.
CUPE represents more than 27,000 education support workers in 59 locals and 53 school districts throughout B.C. including: education assistants, school secretaries, custodians, First Nations support workers, IT workers, Strong Start facilitators, trades and maintenance workers, and bus drivers. CUPE members do many different jobs to provide safe, clean and well-run schools with supportive education for students of all ages.
