(Halifax) The union representing school board workers in all seven of the provinces district school boards wants the Hamm government to seriously consider co-ordinated bargaining in the sector.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents close to 3,000 education support staff in every school board, says it happens in the health care sector already, and makes perfect sense for school boards.
CUPEs School Board Co-ordinator, Kathy MacLeod, says, This is an idea whose time has come, both from a logistics sense but also from a fiscal sense this would save the province a ton of money.
(ATTENTION ASSIGNMENT EDITORS) CUPE school board workers will gather this Saturday (October 23, 2004) at a conference in Truro (Howard Johnston Hotel), commencing at 10:00 a.m.
Guest speakers include:
- Gary Johnston, CUPE School Board Co-ordinator from British Columbia, who will speak on that provinces experiences with co-ordinated bargaining
- Roy Rastrick from Canadian Benefits Consulting Group, who will speak on the unions plans to acquire joint control over their members benefit plans
MacLeod says, All of the CUPE locals in the school board sector have presented a provincial package at their respective bargaining tables as a means of kick-starting co-ordination on at least the issues of wages and benefits which are both funded by the province.
For information:
Kathy MacLeod
CUPE School Board Co-ordinator
(902) 539-4933 (o)
John McCracken
CUPE Communications Representative
(902) 455-4180 (o)