Tentative pact reached for education support workers

NEWS — CUPE and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association have reached a tentative five-year agreement covering education support workers.

The two sides announced the agreement today (Sunday) but didn’t reveal details, saying only that wage increases are in keeping with what the government calls its Economic Stability Mandate and could involve additional increases if the economy exceeds annual forecasts during the last four years of the agreement.

CUPE members will vote on the provincial agreement as part of their package after local bargaining with school boards is concluded. Ratification will be required to finalize the agreements. The tentative deal covers about 34,000 support staff such as bus drivers, custodial staff, office administrators and education assistants.

Education Minister Peter Fassbender called the agreement “wonderful news for support workers and their families.”

CUPE spokesman Marcel Marsolais said the agreement “improves education for students” as well as benefitting the union’s members.

Further details of the agreement are expected Monday. The current contract was to expire June 30.