CUPE 3500, K-12 support workers in the Kamloops/Thomson, BC, school district (School District 73) reached a tentative agreement October 30 following 11 sessions of bargaining that began on June 18.
“I’m really proud of the work our bargaining committee has done and I want to thank them for all their time and commitment,” said CUPE Local 3500 President Nicole Edmondson, noting that the committee bargained throughout the summer even though many of them do not work then.
Edmondson said that negotiations with the employer were respectful and that the bargaining committee appreciated their willingness to work with the bargaining committee on behalf of CUPE 3500 members.
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 by the end of November. This agreement brings the number of CUPE locals who have reached agreements to 54, with three locals remaining.
CUPE 3500 members, who provide a wide variety of services that support students, include Bus Drivers, Education Assistants, Indigenous Support Workers, Custodians, Trades, Clerical, Maintenance, IT, and Administrative Support. The 800 CUPE members provide K-12 support services to students in SD73 (Kamloops/Thompson) from Logan Lake to Blue River and Chase to Savona.
To find out more about CUPE members working in K-12, visit bcschools.cupe.ca.