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Wadena: CUPE school support workers and the Wadena School Division have ratified the three-year agreement reached last week with the assistance of provincial conciliator Doug Forseth.

The Wadena School Division Board, meeting for the last time today, signed the agreement this morning. On January 1, Wadena and parts of two other school divisions are amalgamating into the Lakeview School Division.

School support workers in the division, members of CUPE 3078, ratified the agreement yesterday.

We are very happy that after three long years we finally achieved a fair settlement, says CUPE 3078 president Donna Zarowny. And we are really looking forward to getting back to school and working again with the students and teachers.

The three-year agreement, retroactive to January 1, 2001, includes:

  • 13% wage increase over three years (4.5%, 4.5% and 4%)
  • a cost-shared extended health plan
  • improved sick leave benefits
  • no concessions

School support workers spent more than 130 days on the picket line to force the employer to drop its demands for concessions and negotiate a fair agreement.

It was a long time to spend on a picket line, but we had tremendous support from our families, our communities and the labour movement and that made all the difference, Zarowny says.

The three-year agreement covers school support workers in Wadena, Kelvington, Lintlaw, Archerwill, Rose Valley, Quill Lake and the Quill Lake Hutterite Colony.

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For more information call Donna Zarowny at 338-2091.