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.
Your K-12 provincial bargaining committee will be returning to the bargaining table February 17 with the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA). As you heard from the Presidents Council in its last bulletin, we are at a critical point in our bargaining for a provincial framework agreement.
Over the past few months, some public sector unions have reached agreements with their employers, fully funded by the provincial government. At our table, however, the employer’s current proposals do not address our key priorities, and the funding being offered by the province falls far short of what other public sector unions have received.
Your bargaining committee is united that we will not accept proposals that continue the chronic underfunding of our public schools. We will not accept an agreement that does not include increased earning potential and more sustainable workloads for school support workers. We will not accept less for our members then what has been given to other public sector unions.
If nothing changes in the employer’s positions on February 17, an agreement will not be within reach at the table. Your bargaining committee believes we will need to consider escalating pressure on BCPSEA and the provincial government.
Your bargaining committee is busy preparing for this important bargaining session. The locals of the Presidents Council, along with CUPE leaders and staff are ready to support the bargaining committee at this critical stage and have the plan ready to ensure our union and our members are ready to do what it takes to get an agreement that addresses our key priorities.
Your bargaining committee knows it can count on the support of members and locals across the province. We know we can count on CUPE BC, the national union, and more than 800,000 CUPE members to have our backs. Together, we will get the fair deal we deserve.
We will provide an update as soon as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your local. Please also ensure your local has your current contact information.
As you may have heard from our teacher colleagues, the BCTF provincial bargaining committee is returning to negotiations. We hope this is a positive development for them and all public sector unions in bargaining with the province. We know you’ll join the Presidents Council in wishing them good luck and solidarity in getting the fair deal they deserve.
We also want to thank you all for showing your support to our fellow union members in the BCTF this past week. At rallies, social media and in the workplace, CUPE and other unions have shown we can work together on our collective goals – better schools, a stronger public education system, and respect for all public education workers.
Our own provincial bargaining committee is also preparing for a return to the table with BCPSEA (BC Public School Employers’ Association). We believe our next bargaining session will be crucial to getting the fair deal we deserve—a collective agreement that recognizes the vital role K-12 school support workers play in the success of B.C. students, families and communities.
A fair deal is within reach. Your provincial bargaining committee is ready to do what it takes to get an agreement that provides for more resources and supports for our members. We will not let our members be short-changed in wages and our ability to support our families in the communities we serve.
Your support and engagement is more important than ever. The Presidents Council and union staff are working to ensure our bargaining committee and all K-12 school support locals have the support they need for the work ahead.
Please ensure your emails and other contact information is up to date with your local and encourage co-workers to do the same. Updates can also be found at bcschools.cupe.ca and on our Facebook page @CUPEK12BC.
As you will have heard from our teacher colleagues, their union – the BC Teachers’ Federation – has reached an impasse in their bargaining with BC Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA).
CUPE has been working closely with the BCTF and the other provincial public sector unions throughout this current round of bargaining. And we will continue to be in close contact during this important phase of bargaining.
CUPE and the K-12 Presidents Council are committed to supporting and standing in solidarity with the BCTF. We are working together on our shared goals of strengthening our public education system with better funding and resources for our schools.
We will also let members know what supports our colleagues in the BCTF need to get the deal we all deserve. Our own K-12 provincial bargaining committee will be making a determination on securing future bargaining dates.
We will be updating all K-12 school support locals and members as soon as new information comes available. The Presidents Council and National Representatives are working together to ensure locals have the support they need.
Please ensure your emails and other contact information is up to date with your local and encourage co-workers to do the same. Updates can also be found at bcschools.cupe.ca and on our Facebook page @CUPEK12BC.
As we head into the holiday season, we wish to provide an update on where we are in provincial bargaining. As we reported in our last update, your provincial bargaining committee has met with the B.C. Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA) six times over the past few months.
Discussions have been collegial and respectful. Progress has been made on several key priorities but it is proving to be a particularly difficult round of bargaining.
We recognize the current challenges being faced by in the province. But our priorities at the bargaining table are not a ‘wish list’ and are not expendable. A fair deal is crucial, not just for us, but for the students, families and communities we serve.
Your bargaining committee is committed to holding BCPSEA and the provincial government to account to their responsibility to defend and strengthen our public education system. Healthy and safe public schools, accessible to all B.C. students, with services provided by dedicated and qualified worker that are fairly paid and treated with respect, are critical to B.C. weathering any social or economic uncertainty.
We believe a fair deal is within reach, but we will not rush into an agreement that does not address our specific priorities and the needs of our public schools. So, in the New Year, your provincial bargaining committee will be returning to the bargaining table with renewed determination to get the deal we deserve.
We are continuing to work closely with other public sector unions bargaining with the province to defend B.C. public services. We are reassured that we will have the support and solidarity of the B.C. labour movement when we reconvene bargaining early in 2026.
But the most crucial support is from our members: your engagement and contributions to bargaining have been invaluable. Together in 2026, we will get the deal we need and deserve.
We wish you all a safe and restful holiday season!
Your K-12 provincial bargaining committee met this week with their counterparts from the B.C. Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA). This was our 6th bargaining session towards a new Provincial Framework Agreement.
The session was productive, with meaningful discussions on several of our key issues, including childcare. The bargaining committee reiterated the benefits of public schools providing childcare programs staffed by our members. It would help families across the province in dire need of childcare and would mean additional hours could be available to EAs, ECEs and other school support workers.
We also continued discussions on monetary issues. While we are making progress, it is clear to the bargaining committee that there is still work to be done. We remain firm that B.C. school support workers need and deserve fair wages and adequate resources to properly support students in a healthy and safe learning environment.
We are working with BCPSEA to schedule more bargaining sessions. As you may have heard, some provincial public sector unions have recently reached agreements. While we are encouraged by these agreements, we know that the collective bargaining process is not one-size-fits-all. Your bargaining committee is committed to getting the best deal possible to address our priorities and we are prepared to put in more time and work to get there.
We want to thank you all for your ongoing support and engagement—it is critical to our collective success. Please make sure your local has your personal email so we can keep you updated to new developments.
You can also find updates at bcschools.cupe.ca, on Facebook @cupek12bc, and directly from your local.
