Want employer to ‘recognize and value the contribution of support staff’: CUPE
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 441 members who work in K-12 in Saanich, B.C. voted in support of strike if necessary.
Voting was held on nine occasions at two locations during August and concluded on Aug. 27. Members voted with an overwhelming majority voting to take job action if necessary, says the union.
Workers in School District 63 (Saanich) received substantially lower wages than their counterparts in Sooke and Victoria for decades, and they want comparable wages with other districts on the South Island, says Dean Coates, CUPE 441 president.
“The provincial framework agreement doesn’t meet the needs of our members. The employer recently began paying managers and administrators comparable wages because they see the value in attracting and keeping qualified people,” says Coates. “We want them to also recognize and value the contribution of support staff in Saanich schools.”
The local bargained with the employer on six occasions and held a strike vote so the employer would understand how important this issue is to members, says the union.
CUPE 441 members include education assistants, technical support staff, library techs, youth and family counsellors, clerical, custodial, grounds, maintenance, transportation, trades and district support staff. It represents almost 500 K-12 support staff workers in SD63 (Saanich).
