LANGLEY — CUPE 1851, K-12 custodial, maintenance and IT workers at SD35 (Langley), reached a tentative agreement on June 26, following seven bargaining sessions.
“Our team started preparing at the beginning of the year and kept focused and on task throughout bargaining,” said CUPE 1851 Vice President Carey Schafer. “As well, the employer was willing to listen and work with us.” Schafer noted that bargaining went well with both sides working hard to achieve the tentative agreement. In spite of their efforts, the process of identifying uses for the local bargaining funds in ways that would benefit all CUPE 1851 members was challenging.
The tentative agreement also incorporates the provincial framework agreement approved by the K-12 Presidents Council in September. The current K-12 agreement expires on June 30, 2019. When ratified by CUPE locals and school district Boards of Trustees, the collective agreement will be in effect from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022.
Further details of the tentative agreement will not be available until after ratification by all parties. Ratification is expected to be completed in early July.
CUPE 1851 represents approximately 220 members in Langley. They are custodians who keep schools clean and safe for students; maintenance workers (carpenters, electricians, painters, mechanics, HVAC operators, plumbers, locksmiths, roofers and glaziers) who maintain equipment and buildings; grounds workers who take care of playground equipment, fields and school grounds; and IT workers who maintain servers, computers, equipment and software in Langley schools.
To find out more about CUPE members working in K-12, visit bcschools.cupe.ca.
