9-1-1 operators “stretched to the limit” during heat wave
VANCOUVER—Record high temperatures during the historic heat wave in B.C. have taken their toll on Lower Mainland 9-1-1 operators, who this past weekend were swamped by a record-breaking number of calls and stretched to the limit in their ability to answer them all, says the union representing workers at E-Comm Emergency Communications for BC. “Between […]
Bulletin – Wrapping up the school year
Employer questions on vaccination While the provincial immunization plan moves forward throughout the summer, we are asking all K-12 members to contact your CUPE local if your employer asks about your immunization status. If you are asked by your employer about whether you’ve been vaccinated, or if they ask for any other information regarding immunization, […]
Bulletin – Good News – Now easier for School Districts to open Before- and After-School Care spaces (Seamless Day Pilot Projects and Licensing changes)
Twenty new Seamless Day pilot projects were announced in the BC government’s April budget. This is a big step forward to an integrated system of early care and learning within BC’s public education system and is in large part thanks to the hard work of so many of you in the education sector. By engaging […]
Bulletin – Support Staff Initiative For Recruitment and Retention Enhancement (SSIRRE)
As part of the 2019-2022 Provincial Framework Agreement between the BC Public Schools Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) and the K-12 Presidents Council and Support Staff Unions, the parties committed to the Support Staff Initiative for Recruitment and Retention Enhancement (SSIRRE), a labour market study of support staff positions in the public K-12 sector. The SSIRRE project […]
BC school support workers welcome education recovery plan
BURNABY – British Columbia school support workers are welcoming the $43.6 million in funding announced yesterday to support the safe reopening of BC schools for the 2021/2022 school year. CUPE’s K-12 Presidents Council, representing over 30,000 support workers in B.C.’s education system, says the announcement by Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside represents a big step […]
Bulletin – K-12 Education Recovery Plan for 2021/22 school year
The B.C. Ministry of Education has released a guide for its K-12 Education Recovery Plan. The plan lays out broad guidelines for districts to deliver programs and supports in the 2021/2022 school year that are in line with the province’s over all pandemic recovery efforts. In addition to releasing the plan, Minister of Education Jennifer […]
CUPE 15 members ratify three-year deal with City of Vancouver
VANCOUVER—CUPE 15 members who work at the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Parks, Britannia Centre, and Ray-Cam Cooperative Centre ratified a three-year agreement with the City last week. The agreement, retroactive to January 1, 2020, remains in effect until December 31, 2022. CUPE 15 President Warren Williams noted that bargaining although protracted, was respectful. “We are […]
Sign the pledge to support public health care!
VANCOUVER—Public health care is under attack—again. Last September, the BC Supreme Court dealt a strong blow to the efforts of Dr. Brian Day to undermine our publicly-funded health care system. Dr. Day’s Cambie Clinic, one of the largest for-profit surgical centres in Canada, sought to invalidate key sections of the BC Medicare Protection Act (MPA) and usher in […]
Bulletin – Stigma, Privacy and Mental Health
Doing our part to reduce stigma of COVID-19 The pandemic has caused a huge amount of stress on all of us – within our families, in our workplaces, and in our communities. While we are hopeful a return to ‘normal’ will be coming soon, the pandemic is not yet over and we must all remain […]
Health Care Presidents review survey results, begin preparations for bargaining
BURNABY—CUPE’s Health Care Presidents Council (HCPC), gathering virtually for their quarterly meeting on June 3, used the results of a recent member survey to start developing a plan for a public campaign while setting the agenda for an upcoming bargaining conference that will establish priorities for the next round of contract talks. During the meeting, […]
