Eight more school districts and almost 3,200 support staff workers have recently ratified new agreements under the B.C. government’s 2014 Economic Stability Mandate.

The eight school districts are:

• SD 37 (Delta) - 1,032 support staff workers (CUPE Local 1091)
• SD 42 (Maple Ridge- Pitt Meadows) - 764 support staff workers (CUPE Local 703)
• SD 51 (Boundary) - 109 support staff workers (CUPE Local 2098)
• SD 57 (Prince George) - 905 support staff workers (CUPE Local 3742 and CUPE Local 4991)
• SD 58 (Nicola-Similkameen) - 150 support staff workers (CUPE Local 847)
• SD 74 (Gold Trail) -182 support staff workers (CUPE Local 173)
• SD 87 (Stikine) - 48 support staff workers (CUPE Local 3234)

To date approximately 15,600 support staff workers in 36 school districts have fully ratified agreements in place. This represents about 46% of the total support staff workers in B.C. school districts. The remaining districts are working to ratify agreements by November.

Within 30 days of ratification of a new collective agreement by a board of education, the local union and BCPSEA, the board will reimburse each employee for all scheduled hours that the employee and has not otherwise been paid during the BCTF strike.

The term of the new agreement for each district is from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019. It provides for a modest 5.5% wage increase over the five years of the term, with potential for additional increases if the B.C. economy exceeds the annual forecasts set by the Economic Forecast Council during the last four years of the agreement.

The government’s Economic Stability Mandate provides public-sector employers the ability to negotiate longer-term agreements within a fixed fiscal envelope, and offers employees an opportunity to participate in the province’s economic growth through the Economic Stability Dividend. Settlements are expected to be unique and to reflect priorities negotiated to ensure labour stability and affordable service delivery throughout B.C.

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Finance
250 213-8065

BACKGROUNDER 2014 

Economic Stability Mandate - Key Facts

• Currently, there are more than 200,000 public-sector employees covered by tentative or ratified agreements under the Economic Stability Mandate. This represents about two-thirds of all unionized public-sector employees in B.C.
• If the province’s real GDP growth exceeds forecasts over the term of the agreement, the agreement provides for the sharing of some benefits of that growth with the public-sector employees who work on behalf of British Columbians and help make that growth possible.
• Under this proposal, employees would receive a conditional, incremental wage increase equal to half of any percentage-point gain in real GDP growth above the Economic Forecast Council’s forecast published in the February Budgets.
• For example, if actual real GDP growth is one percentage point above forecast real GDP growth, then a 0.5% wage increase would result, beyond whatever wage increase had been negotiated in the contract.
• An up to date listing of tentative and ratified agreements under the Economic Stability Mandate is available at: http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/psec/

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Finance
250 213-8065