SURREY — CUPE 728, the largest K-12 local in British Columbia, reached a tentative agreement after a marathon bargaining session ending at 4 am today.
CUPE 728 President Marcey Campbell praised the bargaining team for their dedication and hard work since early March when bargaining began. She noted that opening each session with an acknowledgement of First Nations territory was a positive feature of bargaining, as was updating contract language to be gender-neutral.
“I’m honoured by the hard work and long hours our committee put in,” said Campbell. “Their professionalism and creativity went a long way towards reaching a settlement that included no concessions.”
“I’m very proud of the gains we were able to make for all of our members, but especially for precarious workers,” added Randy Anderson-Fennell, CUPE 728 bargaining Chair.
The provincial framework agreement (PFA) 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 by the end of June.
CUPE 728 represents more than 4,000 support workers in B.C.’s largest and fastest growing school district, SD36. Members include education assistants, bus drivers, clerical, caretakers, maintenance, and trades.