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BURNABY It is an outrage that the Kamloops School Board and the Public Sector Employers Association (PSEA) have approved huge wage increases for exempt staff in School District 73, says CUPE BC.

Its just not right that hundreds of frontline school workers in Kamloops-North Okanagan have been laid off while others face increased workloads due to financial shortfalls, CUPE BC president Barry ONeill said.

Both the school board and the provincial government have managed to find money for those who already make the highest wages in the district.

That the raises came as a recommendation from a private consulting firm does not impress ONeill. Nor does the suggestion that the firm compared pay and compensation for senior managers in School District 73 to those of several other British Columbia school districts.

Its unlikely that all factors were taken into consideration by this private firm, ONeill said. Im sure they didnt compare the number of schools closed due to budget problems in each district or the number of frontline staff or student services cut in all the districts used for comparison.

ONeill warned the government that it is just this kind of double standard that is making hard working British Columbians take notice and speak up.

People are seeing once again that when it comes to our provincial government some people are more equal than others, he said.

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Contact: Barry ONeill, CUPE BC President, 604-916-8444.