BURNABY- CUPE’s 57 BC K-12 Local bargaining committees have reached and ratified collective agreements, meeting the November 30 deadline.

“We’re pleased that all locals were able conclude local bargaining issues by the November 30 deadline,” says K-12 Presidents’ Council Chair Marcel Marsolais.  “Locals can now focus and look forward to the gains we achieved in this round of bargaining.”

Locals bargained individually with school districts to achieve local agreements that added to the provincial framework agreement ratified by the K-12 Presidents’ Council in June.

Highlights of the framework agreement include increased hours for education assistants, improvements to extended health benefit plans through standardization, and a commitment to implement a job evaluation plan to address recruitment and retention issues.

Sector coordinators John Horsfield and Rob Hewitt congratulated locals for finalizing bargaining.

“Locals worked hard to achieve contracts that support members and students in K-12,” said Horsfield. “Ensuring this agreement was fully funded by the government was a huge issue and we look forward to putting into place the positive gains made.”

CUPE represents more than 27,000 education support workers in 57 Locals and 53 school districts throughout B.C. including: education assistants, school secretaries, caretakers, First Nations support workers, IT workers, Strong Start facilitators, trades and maintenance workers, and bus drivers.