SAULT STE. MARIE, ON– Local 4148 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) reached a ground-breaking agreement last week with the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board (HSCDSB) that will help ensure a successful roll-out of the new Early Learning Program (ELP).
“We are very excited to have concluded this important step to making early learning a reality throughout the Region” said Sandy Semczyszyn, president of CUPE 4148. Leadership from Local 4148 and the Board stressed the importance of the agreement to ensuring implementation of the Early Learning Program proceeds smoothly.
“We are very pleased to have reached this collective agreement with our Early Childhood Educators (ECE). Having this agreement in place allows the Board to implement the Early Learning Kindergarten Program at our three designated schools in an effective and efficient manner,” said Marchy Bruni, chair of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board.
The agreement incorporates the terms of the recently negotiated Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) agreement between the Province, school boards and the unions, which represent the bulk of Ontario’s school board staff. The PDT agreement has now been incorporated into the current collective agreement between HSCDSB and CUPE, and will be in effect until 2012.
“With school now underway, parents can know that the early learning professionals this agreement covers will be focused on making early learning a success at HSCDSB by providing their children with the best possible education,” said Semczyszyn.
Among other things, the agreement reached yesterday provides a framework for the orderly placement of ECEs into the board’s existing collective agreement, as well as establishing the role ECEs will play in the classroom.
For more information, contact:
Sandy Semczyszyn
CUPE Local 4148 president
Tel: (705) 946-5324
Rick Alexander
CUPE National Representative
Tel: (705) 949-6221
Kevin Wilson
CUPE Communications
Tel: (416) 821-6641