Eight more school districts and more than 3,800 support staff workers have recently ratified new agreements under the B.C. government’s 2014 Economic Stability Mandate.

The eight school districts are:

• SD 33 (Chilliwack) - 820 support staff workers (CUPE Local 411)
• SD 39 (Vancouver) - 934 support staff workers (IUOE 963)
• SD 52 (Prince Rupert) - 188 support staff workers (IUOE 882-B)
• SD 60 (Peace River North) - 492 support staff workers (CUPE Local 4653)
• SD 19 (Revelstoke) - 75 support staff workers (CUPE Local 5150)
• SD 28 (Quesnel) - 336 support staff workers (CUPE Local 4990)
• SD 73 (Kamloops/Thompson) - 734 support staff workers (CUPE Local 3500)
• SD 93 (Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique) - 311 support workers (CUPE 4227)

To date approximately 19,600 support staff workers in 44 school districts have fully ratified agreements in place. This represents about 57% 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 approximately 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