The Provincial Framework Agreement includes four joint provincial committees that continue to meet.
The work of these joint committees is even more crucial during this pandemic. I would like to thank the committee chairs and members for their work. This bulletin includes highlights of committee reports.
The Presidents Council meeting was held on October 5th. The next meeting will be scheduled in May.
In solidarity and safety,
Warren Williams
K-12 Presidents Council President
View PDF.
Health & Safety Taskforce
Committee Chair: Paul Simpson
The committee has held regular meetings to provide all K-12 members help with the first step in creating a safer work environment. Local site-based health and safety committees are the front line to report and address workplace safety and hazards. The committee has compiled a survey to allow us to assess and help promote mandatory WorkSafeBC regulations.
Locals will get information on how to ensure they provide us with the information needed to move ahead with these changes. The comprehensive assessment/ survey is intended for all CUPE site reps to fill out independently from management (administrators/principals). Both support staff and administrators at each site will be encouraged to do a survey. Each local will have the option to assist site reps where needed. Please contact the committee if you need any assistance.
Job Evaluation
Committee Chair: Warren Williams
The work of the joint JE Committee continues despite delays due to COVID. A second consultant was brought in to assist the JE plan and a sub-committee was struck to conduct a total review of the Plan.
The sub-committee compared provincial benchmarks to job descriptions and looked at how the first pilot project related to these descriptions.
The steering committee has met and started the review and selection of the locals and districts showing interest in the second pilot project. Once confirmed, plans have begun to have online training for these new groups. We are scheduled for monthly virtual meetings.
(Report by Rolanda Lavallee)
Provincial Labour Management
Committee Chair: Rob Zver
Three meetings were held over the last year. Terms of Reference were approved and numerous discussions included recruitment and retention and the impact on maintaining service levels, overall workload, and bus driver safety. There is movement on hiring a consultant to start the work of SSIRRE as laid out in the Provincial Framework Agreement.
Committee finances were reviewed and locals with unspent SSEAC allocations are encouraged to work with their districts as soon as possible. The committee would like to thank outgoing member Patti Price (CUPE 1091) for her guidance and commitment in helping them move forward, and welcomes Tammy Murphy (CUPE 728).
Support Staff Education
Committee Chair: Jane Massy
The work of the committee, as has much of our work, has been hijacked by Covid-19. Terms of Reference and a dispute resolution process were finalized. A report on the remaining funds and redistribution was received. There was some discussion on the previous SSEAC committee.
Committee plans were outlined in a bulletin issued in early March. The committee looked at modules that had been created to support EAs in their learning. Some modules need updating as they are too time-consuming to be accommodated during pro-D days.
The committee decided to survey locals before money for training is distributed. The last two meetings have been spent discussing what the survey will look like, working with our CUPE National researcher. The committee will be meeting again on October 27th and the survey will be coming out shortly.
K-12 Update from Dr. Bonnie Henry 