CUPE 4177 K-12 support workers in Nechako Lakes BC, reached a tentative agreement on Friday. The two parties started bargaining June 11 and after four sessions, including some 12-hour days, wrapped it up with signatures on June 21.
“We had the best bargaining committee in place that there could ever be,” said CUPE 4177 President Florence Robertson.
Robertson said that despite the best efforts of both parties, their expectations were hindered because of an unclear process around Service Improvement Allocation.
“From our perspective, bargaining was disappointing because there wasn’t enough clarity on bargaining the local funds negotiated under the provincial framework agreement,” said Robertson.
The provincial framework agreement approved by the K-12 Presidents’ Council in September forms part of the tentative agreement. The current K-12 agreement expires on June 30, 2019. When ratified by CUPE locals and school districts, the provincial 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 this month.
CUPE 4177 members provide a wide variety of services that support students including Education Assistants, Aboriginal Support Workers, Child Care Workers, Custodians, Trades, Clerical, Bus Drivers, Maintenance, IT and Administrative Support.
The local represents between 300 and 400 members in K-12 who provide support services to more than 3,500 students in Fort St James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake, Grassy Plains, Granisle, Francois Lake and Burns Lake in British Columbia.
To find out more about CUPE members working in K-12, visit bcschools.cupe.ca.