Greetings Vancouver School Board Members:
We wish to keep everyone updated regarding the changes to your new collective agreement; especially with wages and benefits.
Updates for your wages and benefits are competing with the legal requirement the employer has regarding the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and the issuance of T4s, T2200s, and other CRA requirements for their February deadlines. However, your wage increases will be reflected on your next pay period pay date of February 10, 2023 and the retroactive pay will be paid on or before the April 6, 2023 pay date.
With regard to benefit increases for medical practitioners and dental, the employer is working closely with HUB International and are hoping to have an update early next week, if not sooner, about the benefit increase implementations.
We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as our members in Payroll are doing their very best at this busy time.
Practicum Students
We are aware of a new intake for practicum students and wish to remind everyone that you have the choice of whether or not to accept a student. If you choose to have a practicum student work with you, you are eligible for the 5% premium.
Practicum students are to be assigned to only one School and Student Support A (SSA) and are not to be moved around from one SSA to another. If you are being advised that a practicum student will be moved from classroom to classroom, that is incorrect and we suggest you let your administrator know that they are to only be assigned to one SSA. If it is not corrected, please do not hesitate to let a shop steward know, or contact the email the union office via phone or email.
An administrative form is currently being developed to help facilitate the process for tracking and payment for the practicum student program. That form should be provided to your administrator, but until the form is finalized, members are encouraged to keep track of their hours with their practicum student.
Additional Local Monies
We wish to thank everyone who has taken the time to submit suggestions to the bargaining committee for ideas on how we can best utilize the additional local monies. The bargaining committee is meeting this Friday, February 10th to review all the suggestions and we will be meeting with the employer on March 8th to begin the establishment of a program for allocating those funds to our members.
Production of the New Collective Agreement
The production of the new collective agreement is currently with BCPSEA for preparation and proofing. This process can take some time, so we appreciate the membership’s patience while we work our way through that. In the meantime, please refer to the CUPE Local 15 website to view the 2022/2023 Memorandum of Agreement as well as your previous collective agreement, or contact your shop steward with any questions.
COVID-19 Quarantine
While we know COVID-19 is still out in the community, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) announced in November 2022 that they were lifting the requirement for mandatory quarantine if you have contracted COVID-19. However, they still encourage people to stay home if they are sick, and to not go to work if they are displaying any of the flu-like symptoms of COVID-19. Members will be required to use their sick banks or EI sick benefits in order to cover themselves for these absences.
The grievance the union filed for members who were not compensated for quarantine pay while the health order was still in place is working its way through the arbitration process and we will give updates as things progress.
Your CUPE Local 15 Bargaining Committee wishes to thank everyone again for your support and we look forward to providing you with ongoing updates as they come in.
In solidarity,
Warren Williams, President
Debbie Mohabir, Secretary-Treasurer and Bargaining Committee Chair
Chris Brown, Bargaining Committee Co-Chair
Cynthia Schadt, Chief Shop Steward and Bargaining Committee Member
Suzette Magri, Bargaining Committee Member
Vanessa Mani, Bargaining Committee Member
Rufa Sese, Bargaining Committee Member
Kathie Currie, Staff Representative