A tentative agreement was reached between the K-12 Provincial Bargaining Council (PBC) and the British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) late Thursday evening on a provincial framework agreement for K-12 support staff.

The three-year agreement takes effect on July 1, 2019 and remains in effect until June 30, 2022.

Highlights of the agreement include:

  • General wage increases of 2 per cent in each year of the three-year contract
  • Language on violence in the workplace
  • Establishment of a Joint Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Taskforce
  • Right to refuse unsafe work language is now included in the agreement
  • Establishment of a Provincial Labour Management Committee
  • A skills enhancement fund
  • There is funding for local bargaining as part of the agreement

“The K‑12 Provincial Bargaining Council and BCPSEA worked hard to reach this tentative agreement,” says K‑12 Presidents Council President Warren Williams. “We were able to attain gains that strengthen our local bargaining ability and address some of the issues that are most important to our members.”

Further details on the tentative agreement will not be made public until CUPE K‑12 members have the opportunity to review them. Once endorsed by the K‑12 Presidents Council, it will form the provincial agreement portion of proposals that will go forward in local bargaining between CUPE locals and their respective school districts.