Public school support staff and the B.C. government were expected to continue contract talks today and Sunday in hopes of averting a possible strike as early as next week.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees issued a statement Friday saying the two sides have made progress, but that members remain on strike alert.
“There has been give and take for the first time at the table,” said Colin Pawson, who chairs the CUPE B.C. K-12 Presidents’ Council. “Discussions are ongoing, but the negotiations have reached a critical stage.”
CUPE represents more than 27,000 custodians, tradespeople, education assistants and other support workers in the public school system.
The B.C. Public School Employers’ Association also issued a statement indicating that reports of a looming strike were premature.
“Although there are rumours of job action starting next week, the union is giving no indication that job action will commence while talks continue,” said Deborah Stewart, the association’s senior human resources consultant.
Greater Victoria board chairwoman Peg Orcherton said that’s good news for students and parents alike.
“As long they’re staying at the bargaining table, I’m taking that as a positive sign,” she said.
Even if bargaining breaks down, Orcherton said, parents will receive advance warning of a walkout.
“I think CUPE’s pretty responsive to parents’ needs, and if bargaining breaks down and they step away from the bargaining table without it resolved and give 72-hour [strike] notice, that doesn’t mean they’re going to go out in 72 hours,” she said.
Still, she said, parents should be aware that a strike remains a possibility. “Hopefully, they’ve been making some backup plans.”
The support staff, who are represented by CUPE and other unions, have been without a wage increase for four years and are seeking a raise of two per cent a year over two years. The last agreements expired more than a year ago.
Talks resumed Wednesday between the unions and the government’s lead negotiator, Peter Cameron.
The government tabled an offer the same day, and the union responded Thursday morning with a counter-proposal, Stewart said in her statement.
“After the parties broke to review the unions’ counter-proposal and consider next steps, the union engaged in independent communication to boards of education indicating that they would not be willing to settle for less than two per cent, two per cent and no concessions,” Stewart said.
Education Minister Peter Fassbender has told school boards to start setting aside money to pay for any CUPE wage increases.
Boards have responded that they have few places to find the money after years of struggling to absorb rising utility, pension, medical and other inflationary costs within lean budgets.
Saanich board chairman Wayne Hunter told a special meeting this week that his district is already looking at a deficit next year — even before covering the potential cost of wage increases
“Prior to anything being settled, we’re probably $2.3 million behind the eight ball,” he said. “We have done some things to our budget over the last couple of years to patch. Well, the patches are gone.”
He said the district’s support staff are as deserving of a wage increase as other provincial employees. But he said every one per cent increase in their salaries will add about $125,000 to board expenses. “So that gets to be a whack of dough on what we have already, and we need our public just to know there are struggles — big struggles.”
