Welcome to the CUPE BC K-12 Presidents’ Council site
The K-12 Presidents’ Council represents 57 CUPE locals in school districts across British Columbia.
CUPE represents more than 30,000 education workers including: education assistants, school secretaries, custodians/caretakers, Indigenous support workers, IT workers, Strong Start facilitators, trades and maintenance workers, and bus drivers.
We strive to protect quality public education for all.
The K-12 provincial bargaining committee met with their counterparts from the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association this week to begin negotiations for a new Provincial Framework Agreement.
Talks began with your provincial bargaining committee tabling a comprehensive set of proposals. With guidance from K-12 locals and the provincial bargaining survey, the union’s proposals covered a wide array of issues, with focus on four key areas. They include fair wages, increased hours, securing public child care work for our members, and addressing violence experienced by school support workers.
This first bargaining session – a 3-day meeting in Burnaby – was positive and cordial. Your bargaining committee voiced a commitment to working cooperatively with public school employers in strengthening B.C. public schools. Your committee was clear with BCPSEA: school support workers need better support to keep providing the services BC students depend on and deserve. These workers also deserve to earn a fair wage to live in the communities they serve.
The bargaining committees are scheduled to meet again in May and June. The K-12 bargaining committee will be sending out regular bulletins as negotiations progress. Watch for them at bcschools.cupe.ca, our Facebook page @cupek12bc, and directly from your local.
Learn more about the K-12 sector bargaining process in B.C.
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After months of training, research, consultations and discussions, the K-12 provincial bargaining committee is ready to head to the table. Today, the K-12 Presidents Council gave its overwhelming endorsement to the bargaining committee’s proposals and priorities for a new provincial framework agreement.
Guided by the results of the provincial bargaining survey, the top bargaining priorities will be:
Bargaining for the next Provincial Framework Agreement will begin April 14, 2025, with a 3-day meeting between the K-12 provincial bargaining committee and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association. Additional bargaining dates have been scheduled in May and June. Collective agreements for K-12 sector locals in B.C. expire on June 30, 2025.
The bargaining committee will be sending out regular bulletins as negotiations progress. Watch for them at bcschools.cupe.ca, directly from your local, and on Facebook @cupek12bc.
Learn more about the bargaining process for K-12 school support locals in B.C.
Over 4000 education workers in the Alberta K-12 public school system are on strike. These CUPE members are fighting back against years of provincial governments mandated wages that have left K-12 workers struggling to get by.
So far, nine CUPE locals across the province are on the picket lines. The members represented by these locals have seen their wages lag further and further behind inflation. With over a 10 percent vacancy of school support jobs in the province, the low-wages and poor working conditions have made recruiting and retaining staff a challenge for Alberta school districts.
CUPE education workers are standing up for themselves, and the students and families that depend on them every school day. They are standing up for better supports for better Alberta schools. And they need our support to keep standing strong.
We are urging our B.C. K-12 locals to write letters of support to our friends and fellow school support workers on the picket line in Alberta and consider donating to their strike support fund.
Please send a message to our Alberta friends – B.C. has got your back!
As part of the provincial K-12 Literacy Supports initiative, the Ministry of Education and Child Care, in collaboration with BCcampus, is seeking input from K-12 teachers and educational support staff on online resource needs related to student literacy development, via a brief online survey, and through a series of focus groups.
Survey
The survey will be open from January 31 to February 14, 2025. Please note that survey responses are anonymous and are not intended to assess educator competencies or determine broader programming related to literacy development.
Any questions or concerns regarding the content of the survey or the K-12 Literacy Supports initiative can be submitted to the Inclusive Education Team at literacy.supports@gov.bc.ca. For technical support regarding the survey, please contact support@bccampus.ca.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are expected to be scheduled in February and March 2025. Participants will be asked to participate in 1 virtual engagement session on either a weeknight or weekend, for approximately 2 hours. Participants will be paid $162.50 for their time.
If you are a direct student support worker interested in participating in a focus group, please contact Robynn Devine at rdevine@bccampus.ca. Please include the following information:
CUPE BC released the following bulletin on the BC NDP platform.
CUPE BC is pleased to express its strong support for the BC NDP’s platform announcement, which includes a key commitment to deliver affordable before- and after-school care in every school district. This commitment aligns closely with CUPE BC’s longstanding advocacy for a Seamless Day childcare model that uses existing public school infrastructure and education support staff to provide much-needed, accessible childcare for families across the province.
As outlined in the BC NDP’s platform, the plan aims to reduce childcare costs for families with children up to age 12 by working with school districts, Educational Assistants, and other trusted staff to provide affordable before- and after-school care. This model ensures that children receive care in safe, familiar environments, and reflects CUPE BC’s vision for expanding public childcare within the education system. The plan also includes increased support for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, with additional Educational Assistants (EAs) in classrooms to meet complex needs and help integrate the childcare program into the school day.
“CUPE BC welcomes the BC NDP’s commitment to affordable, accessible childcare in every school district,” said Karen Ranalletta, President of CUPE BC. “Our members—particularly the Educational Assistants who are vital to supporting students—are excited to see their expertise recognized as part of the solution. This plan not only benefits children and families, but also strengthens public education by creating a more supportive and caring environment for students.”
CUPE BC looks forward to working with the BC NDP and school districts to implement these crucial programs that will make life more affordable for families while ensuring that students receive the support they need in the classroom.
