CUPE 4227, representing more than 400 Francophone K-12 support workers province-wide at Conseil scolaire francophone, reached a tentative agreement on June 27 following 6 bargaining sessions that started in May.
“Although we were not able to improve in all of the areas our members identified as important to them, we were pleased that we made gains for some of our precarious workers in this round of bargaining,” said CUPE 4227 president Francine Brisson.
According to Brisson bargaining was very respectful and amicable, but not without challenges.
“We would have been able to accomplish more for our members if funds available for local bargaining had been less restrictive,” added Brisson.
The tentative agreement also incorporates the provincial framework agreement approved by the K-12 Presidents Council in September. The current K-12 agreement expired on June 30, 2019. When ratified by CUPE locals and school district Boards of Trustees, the collective agreement will be in effect from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022.
Further details of the tentative agreement will not be available until after ratification by all parties. Ratification is expected to be completed in early July.
CUPE 4227 members, who provide a wide variety of services in French-language schools throughout BC, include Education Assistants, Youth Care Workers, Indigenous Support Workers, Clerical, IT, Strong Start workers, Administrative Support, and support workers for new immigrant families. They support 6,000 K-12 students in 41 francophone schools throughout BC.
To find out more about CUPE members working in K-12, visit bcschools.cupe.ca.