SAANICH – After two failed attempts at mediation, K-12 support staff in School District #63 walked off the job this morning. The union served 72-hour strike notice on Wednesday, October 23 but had hoped that the parties would have gone back to the table and negotiated a deal that addressed longstanding wage parity issues.

Following the bargaining committee’s rejection of the employer’s offer, CUPE 441 sought mediation to reach a deal but the two sessions were unsuccessful.

“We have let the employer know that we are available around the clock to sit down and come to a settlement,” said CUPE 441 President Dean Coates. “We are disappointed to be on strike, but we need to gain fairness for our members.”

The two sides remain unable to reach a settlement after seven months at the bargaining table.

“Our members go to work every day to ensure that students in our schools are safe and thrive,” said Coates. “We really appreciate the support shown to our members by the Saanich Teachers’ Association, parents and the general public.”

CUPE 441 represents almost 500 K-12 support staff including Education Assistants, Clerical, Library Techs, Youth and Family Counsellors, Custodial, Grounds, Maintenance, Transportation, Trades, and District Support workers in SD #63.

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CHILLIWACK — CUPE 411, representing more than 850 K-12 support workers, have mediation dates set for November 5 and 6. The BC Labour Relations Board has appointed mediator Grant McArthur to mediate contract talks between School District #33 (Chilliwack) and CUPE Local 411.

The current agreement expired on June 30, 2019. The parties have held 18 bargaining sessions since April.

CUPE 411 First Vice President Tracey O’Hara said that although the local was able to find some common ground with the School District, mediation was requested in order to meet the November 30 deadline date for the Provincial Framework Agreement.

“Our bargaining committee saw that it was time to move negotiations forward,” said O’Hara. “We hope the mediation helps us reach a timely conclusion to bargaining.”

CUPE Local 411 members provide a wide variety of services that support students, in five divisions that include Transportation, Clerical, Custodial, Maintenance, and a wide variety of positions that fall into the Assistance division.

CAMPBELL RIVER — CUPE 723, K-12 support workers at School District 72 on the east coast of central Vancouver Island, ratified a collective agreement on October 19.

The local bargaining began on March 19 and a deal was reached after seven rounds of bargaining.

CUPE 723 President Andrea Craddock says the deal is just the beginning of better employment conditions for members.

“This was a challenging round of bargaining and we’d hoped to make better gains for education assistants’ hours,” said Craddock. “However, we made a start and are pleased the employer agreed to sign the request for the Job Evaluation (JE) Pilot as this will potentially bring improvements to all departments within the local.”

Craddock thanked the bargaining team for its diligence in reaching an agreement.

The agreement incorporates the provincial framework agreement approved by the K-12 Presidents Council last September. The current K-12 agreement expired on June 30, 2019.

The collective agreement will be in effect from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022.

CUPE 723 members, who provide a wide variety of services that support students, include instructional support staff (i.e. education assistants, Indigenous support workers), custodians, trades, maintenance, grounds, clerical, IT, administrative support, lunch-hour supervisors and child and youth care workers. They support students in Campbell River.

NEW WESTMINSTER — CUPE 409, K-12 support workers, reached a new tentative agreement with SD40 (New Westminster) this week using mediation services at the Labour Relations Board.

The initial agreement reached on June 12 was ratified by the local but not accepted by the British Columbia Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA), so it was not ratified.

“This was the same deal we signed on June 12 with some minor language amendments,” said CUPE 409 President Marcel Marsolais. “We added a Service Enhancement Day to focus on maximizing and providing improved services for students and to increase collaboration with our education partners.”

Marsolais noted that the agreement with the school district satisfies the mandate from CUPE 409 members.

“Our members were preparing to take job action and we are pleased that we avoided this through mediation,” said Marsolais. “This further emphasizes the harmonious relationship we have with the Board of Education.”

Further details of the tentative agreement will not be available until after ratification by all parties. Ratification is expected to be completed on November 5. This settlement brings the number of CUPE locals that have reached tentative agreements to 53, with four locals still in the bargaining process. The deadline to reach agreement under the provincial framework agreement is November 30, 2019.

CUPE 409 represents 439 K-12 education workers in the New Westminster School District.