RICHMOND—The CUPE BC K-12 Presidents’ Council Provincial Bargaining Committee held its first meeting Wednesday in Richmond. Regional representatives from across the province met to start the process of mapping out 2012 bargaining priorities and strategy.
The meeting follows the Presidents’ Council’s notice to bargain issued last week to the BC Public School Employers Association on behalf of CUPE K-12 locals. Council chair Colin Pawson focused today’s discussion on key bargaining issues identified at last month’s Presidents’ Council meeting including job security, wages, benefits, improved pension access for casual members and the term of an agreement. Actual talks are not expected to get underway before September.
CUPE National research representative John Malcolmson provided background information on the ongoing K-12 online member survey, cost of living and details of the provincial government’s imposed “cooperative gains” process.
CUPE BC K-12 coordinator Bill Pegler stressed the importance of the meeting saying “this is where we hash out our provincial strategy – where every region is represented and gets a chance for input.”
CUPE represents 26,000 public education support staff including education assistants, First Nations support workers, StrongStart facilitators, custodians, school secretaries, trades and maintenance workers and bus drivers in BC’s public schools.
