School will start with all employees and services in place next week – but the union contract for support workers is still being negotiated.
CUPE Local 2098 represents 98 employees of School District 51 (Boundary) from Christina Lake to Big White. The list of jobs affected includes bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, education assistants, clerks, lunch and afterschool supervisors.
According to Local 2098 representative Janet Thorpe, they have been without a contract since June of 2012 and a strike vote taken last June returned a solid mandate for the union negotiators with over 97 per cent voting in favour of strike action if needed.
The contract is being negotiated under the provincial government’s co-operative gains mandate. The bargaining policy, which applies throughout the public service, dictates that wage increases are possible but only if corresponding savings can be found elsewhere, such as through increases in productivity.
“Just at the end of last week the government invited our people back to the bargaining table on September 4, 5 and 6,” Thorpe told the Times adding, “If we were to strike we would have to give strike notice again and we haven’t done that.”
“I am optimistic and hopeful that they will come up with a settlement at these talks, or at least begin that process,” she said. “The talks to date have not been fruitful at all. I am hopeful that now they will begin to bargain. Until now the government hasn’t responded to us.”
Members fall under essential services legislation, but what that would look like has to be spelled by the Labour Relations Board, and Thorpe said that while she knows that is being worked on she has not heard if the outcome has been determined yet.
The union is asking for a two per cent wage increase in each of the next two years.
“We are asking for the same kind of settlement that the government has reached with other public sector employees.
“We haven’t had a wage adjustment for four years and the average CUPE worker has an annual income of about $24,000 a year,” said Thorpe. She said that 92 per cent of the CUPE work part-time.”
Thorpe explained that all monetary issues for the 27,000 CUPE employees across the province are negotiated at the same provincial table.
“CUPE members are the people who keep our schools safe, clean and inclusive – we just want to reach a respectful settlement with the provincial government. We want to work and we need a funded wage increase.”
No one from the school board office was available for comment.
For school start times, bus schedules and other pertinent information please visit sd51.bc.ca