Education support workers for Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools have officially announced a new three-year collective agreement.
On Wednesday, the school district, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 606 and B.C. Public School Employers’ Association, the bargaining agent, announced the deal, which is retroactive to July 1 and runs until June 30, 2022. CUPE initially announced a tentative deal on July 16, with the membership voting in favour on July 31.
Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed, but according to a press release, BCPSEA’s board ratified the deal on Monday. Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ board held a special meeting on July 18, at which it gave unanimous approval, Charlene McKay, school board chairwoman, said in the press release.
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All parties were pleased that a deal had been reached, including Rob Zver, CUPE Local 606 president.
“The new agreement will see every CUPE employee in the district receive some new benefits over the three-year term,” said Zver in the press release. “On behalf of the CUPE bargaining committee, executive and all support staff workers, we want to thank the district’s bargaining committee for working towards this positive outcome.”
McKay also was happy about the deal and spoke of the importance of education support workers.
“Over 700 CUPE members are found in every school and district facility and are highly visible in the classroom, school offices, and in every department from facilities, finance, human resources, IT, communications and learning services,” McKay said in the press release. “On behalf of the board, I would like to extend our gratitude to our CUPE staff for their continued commitment to education.”
Scott Saywell, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ superintendent, expressed gratitude to bargaining teams and for the union’s contributions to the district.
“It was a sound process that resulted in improvements for support staff across the entire district,” Saywell said in the release. “I am pleased with the outcome and it is important to highlight the great work by all CUPE employees as they are highly valued in their work supporting every student’s learning and growth.”
