Parents are breathing a sigh of relief now that a CUPE strike has been averted in School District 53.
A marathon meeting on Monday resulted in a tentative agreement between the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 523 and three Okanagan school districts.
Officials were worried that classes would be disrupted on Tuesday after the union served 72-hour strike notice that expired Sunday. It was stated that teachers would support the union and not cross picket lines manned by educational assistants, clerical staff and custodians.
School District 53 was in negotiations with the union since October 2012. The BC Public School Employers’ Association and CUPE representatives negotiated a two-year agreement in September 2013, which all parties recommended to their members for ratification.
School board chair Marieze Tarr is grateful all of this over, but said she was surprised and disappointed that CUPE served the district with strike notice. She said the union threatened strike action and disruption to students by mischaracterizing an employee benefits issue.
“Contrary to the union’s statements that the school district demanded a concession to claw back employee long-term disability savings, we need to be clear, there has been no claw back of any collective agreement provision related to employees’ long-term disability plan,” Tarr said.
In addition to a number of other matters, the framework agreement provided salary increases of 3.5 per cent.
Tarr said the union implied that the district has a $5 million surplus. But she stated the district has an accumulated surplus of $1.3 million – $400,000 of which is being used to fund school operations this year.
But CUPE Local 523 spokesman Rob Hewitt said he found it disrespectful for employers to deny workers the opportunity to improve their outdated benefit plans.
Hewitt said what prompted the strike position is the fact their employers kept “nickel and diming” workers in need of benefit improvements in schools districts that were running surpluses.
“We are not talking about very much money, but that’s the point. These school districts are running surpluses, and our members are some of the lowest paid public sector workers. We deserve a fair deal,” Hewitt said.
He noted the cost of the improvements the union was seeking was approximately $65,000.
“Based on these districts’ budgets, this is a small amount, but for our members who depend on these benefits, it means a lot.”
Superintendent of Schools Bev Young said she is very glad that a negotiated settlement has been reached and schools will not be disrupted.
