Twenty-five K-12 support staff agreements have been ratified by local unions, school districts and the BC Public School Employers’ Association board of directors under government’s Sustainable Services Negotiating Mandate.

The agreements focus on improving services for people and ensuring fair, affordable compensation. 

Each agreement has a three-year term from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2022, with general wage increases of 2% per year, plus additional local funds negotiated that result in tangible improvements to service delivery. 

Examples of negotiated improvements to service delivery include:

• a professional development fund for employees;
• targeted premium increases for trades, bilingual and first aid staff;
• enhanced education and training opportunities;
• extended additional work hours for education assistants;
• monthly collaboration time for educational assistants;
• an extension of regular working hours for administrative assistants;
• targeted wage increases for HVAC trade employees to address recruitment and retention challenges; and
• increased hours for bus drivers on the rotational list to drive for curricular and extracurricular trips.

Local unions and school districts that have ratified include:

• SD 22 (Vernon) and CUPE Local 523 with 501 employees;
• SD 35 (Langley) and CUPE Local 1851 with 214 employees;  
• SD 35 (Langley) and CUPE Local 1260 with 866 employees;
• SD 37 (Delta) and CUPE Local 1091 with 793 employees;
• SD 38 (Richmond) and CUPE Local 716 with 904 employees;
• SD 39 (Vancouver) and Trades Council with 144 employees;
• SD 39 (Vancouver) and CUPE Local 407 with 107 employees;
• SD 42 (Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows) and CUPE Local 703 with 802 employees;
• SD 44 (North Vancouver) and CUPE Local 389 with 796 employees;
• SD 50 (Haida Gwaii) and CUPE Local 2020 with 74 employees;
• SD 53 (Okanagan Similkameen) and CUPE Local 523 with 173 employees;
• SD 54 (Bulkley Valley) and CUPE Local 2145 with 196 employees;
• SD 60 (Peace River North) and CUPE Local 4653 with 462 employees;
• SD 61 (Greater Victoria) and CUPE Local 382 with 218 employees;
• SD 61 (Greater Victoria) and CUPE Local 947 with 845 employees;
• SD 67 (Okanagan Skaha) and CUPE Local 523 with 295 employees;
• SD 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) and CUPE Local 606 with 697 employees;
• SD 72 (Campbell River) and CUPE Local 723 with 35 employees;
• SD 74 (Gold Trail) and CUPE Local 173 with 135 employees;
• SD 75 (Mission) and CUPE Local 593 with 484 employees;
• SD 78 (Fraser-Cascade) and CMAW Local 2423 with 152 employees;
• SD 84 (Vancouver Island West) and CUPE Local 2769 with 64 employees;
• SD 87 (Stikine) and CUPE Local 3234 with 34 employees;
• SD 92 (Nisga'a) and CUPE Local 2298 with 48 employees; and
• SD 93 (CSF) and CUPE Local 4227 with 339.

With these ratifications, approximately 73% of K12 support staff employees, or 53 out of 69 agreements, have now been settled under the Province’s public-sector bargaining mandate.

The ratifications complete the process begun by the September 2018 Provincial Framework Agreement, which paved the way for collective agreements to be negotiated between K-12 local support staff unions and the 60 public school districts throughout B.C.

The Sustainable Services Negotiating Mandate supports the government’s commitment to improve the services people count on, make life more affordable and invest in sustainable economic growth. The mandate is consistent with B.C.’s commitment to balanced budgets and sound fiscal management.

Currently, there are just over 229,000 public-sector employees covered by tentative or ratified agreements reached under the mandate.

Learn More:

Learn more about public-sector bargaining in B.C.: www.gov.bc.ca/psecbargaining