VANCOUVER—The K-12 Presidents Council announced today that all locals have now reached agreements with their respective districts and that K-12 province-wide bargaining has been completed for support staff.

K-12 Presidents Council President Warren Williams thanked everyone involved in bargaining at both union and employer tables.

“Thanks to all the bargaining committees for their hard work and dedication, union business agents, and to our national staff – including specialists – for their ongoing support,” said Williams. “I’d also like to thank CUPE National and the CUPE BC Division.”

Williams said that dates have been set for the new committees created through the Provincial Framework Agreement. “We’re looking forward to working together to make improvements for support staff and students.”

The new committees are Support Staff Education, Provincial Labour Management, and Safety in the Workplace. The Job Evaluation Committee, created in the previous provincial agreement, has begun the second phase of its work.

The K-12 Presidents Council is comprised of representatives from 62 locals in school districts across British Columbia, including 57 CUPE locals. Members of the Council represent more than 29,000 education workers who provide a wide variety of services that support students. These include Education Assistants, School Secretaries, Youth and Family Workers, Caretakers, First Nations Support Workers, IT Workers, Career Information Assistants, Strong Start Facilitators, Trades and Maintenance Workers, and Bus Drivers.

KELOWNA — CUPE 3523, K-12 support workers at School District 23 (Central Okanagan), reached a tentative agreement after 20 bargaining sessions that began in May. The tentative agreement was finally reached on November 26 following two days of mediation.

CUPE 3523 President David Tether said that this round of bargaining was a tough slog and a tentative agreement was reached despite the lack of preparation, wasted time, and multiple concessions brought forward by the employer. Contrasting the difficulties over six months of bargaining, Tether praised the Local’s bargaining committee.

“Our bargaining committee was amazing, they worked exceedingly hard,” said Tether. “Despite the employer, we got a reasonable agreement we think our members will be happy with. At the end of the day, we didn’t give up one thing. I am, however, disappointed that our relationship with the employer has been compromised, an unnecessary casualty of this round.”

The tentative agreement also incorporates the provincial framework agreement recommended 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. CUPE 3523 is holding a ratification meeting on November 30. With this settlement, all 57 CUPE K-12 locals have completed bargaining.

CUPE 3523 represents K-12 support workers in 31 elementary schools, 7 middle school, 5 secondary schools and one alternative school in the municipalities of Peachland, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country and the Regional District of Central Okanagan. CUPE 3523 members, who provide a wide variety of services that support students, include Education Assistants, Grounds Workers, Indigenous Support Workers, Bus Drivers, Custodians, Trades, Clerical, Maintenance, Information Technology, Administrative Support, Supervision Assistants, and Strong Start.

NELSON – CUPE K-12 Local 748 reached a tentative agreement with School District 8 (Kootenay Lake) following two days of mediation on November 23.

CUPE 748 President Michelle Bennett characterized bargaining as challenging, noting that in her experience it was one of the hardest rounds ever.

“We could not have gotten to a collective agreement without our bargaining team,” said Bennett. “They were amazing.”

Bennett said that the local was able to deal with existing language on overtime for Education Assistants and Bus Drivers. Further details of the tentative agreement will not be available until after ratification by all parties. Ratification is expected to be completed by November 30.

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. CUPE represents 57 K-12 locals and 56 have reached agreements, with one local still at the table.

CUPE 748 represents more than 400 K-12 support workers. They provide a wide variety of services that include Education Assistants, Youth Care Workers, Indigenous Support Workers, Custodians, Trades, Clerical, Maintenance, IT, Administrative Support, and Bus Drivers. Members support students in the communities of Crawford Bay, Creston, Kaslo, Meadow Creek, Nelson, Salmo, Slocan, Winlaw, and Wynndel.

SOOKE — CUPE 459, K-12 support workers in Sooke School District 62, ratified a collective agreement with the District on November 22.

CUPE 459 President Amber Leonard said that the bargaining committee was pleased with the improvements they negotiated with the employer within the mandate.

“We’ve been able to come back to the table because of good working relationships,” said Leonard. “I am so proud of the outstanding service our members provide to students in Sooke and the relationships we have built over many years.”

The collective agreement incorporates the provincial framework agreement recommended 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. CUPE represents 57 K-12 locals and 55 have reached agreements, with two locals remaining.

CUPE 459 members, who provide a wide variety of services that support students, include Education Assistants, Clerical staff, IT, Indigenous Support workers, Bus Drivers, Custodians, Trades, Grounds, Youth and Family Counsellors and Crossing Guards. They provide K-12 support service to more than 10,000 students in Sooke, Port Renfrew, the Highlands, Metchosin, Colwood and Langford.

SAANICH — CUPE Local 441 members voted to accept the tentative agreement at a ratification meeting on Sunday afternoon. CUPE members will be back in classrooms as schools reopen Monday morning.

The agreement includes general wage increases of two per cent in each year of the three-year contract as per the Provincial Framework Agreement (PFA).

The union and employer were able to bring CUPE 441 members to, or significantly closer to, wage parity within the region.

The Local and District will establish a recruitment and retention working group that will meet on a regular basis.

CUPE 441 President Dean Coates thanked the bargaining committee for their hard work and the community for their strong support.

“We could not have reached this agreement without the backing of this community,” said Coates. “We commit to working with the School District to build a relationship of respect moving forward.”

Coates said that members are excited to get back into classrooms and work with the students they support.

CUPE 441 members provide a wide variety of services in Saanich schools.  Members include Education Assistants, Technical Support staff, Library Techs, Youth and Family Counsellors, Clerical, Custodial, Grounds, Maintenance, Transportation, Trades and District support staff. The local represents almost 500 K-12 support staff workers in SD63.

View photos of the strike here.