The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents about 55,000 workers, announced the ratification of the contract Monday morning.
According to the negotiating committee, about 73 percent of members voted to accept the tentative deal.
“For the first time in a decade, education workers won a collective agreement that did not impose terms through legislation,” the union said in a statement.
The association said 41,559 people participated in the ratification vote, about 76 percent of its membership.
“We have seen unprecedented member engagement,” the union said.
Under the new agreement, all workers will receive a flat rate raise of $1 an hour, or about 3.59 percent annually. The government has said this will lead to a “significant pay rise” for the lowest paid union members.
The bargaining committee also secured back pay for the two days workers participated in a civil protest over Bill 28 – legislation that imposed a shorter contract on workers and made it illegal for them to strike.
A tentative deal was only reached when education workers agreed to end their province-wide strike in exchange for the government lifting the legislation.
“This is a particularly appropriate achievement, which recognizes that you didn’t have to do it just to preserve the Charter bargaining rights you’ve always had,” union president Mark Hancock wrote in a letter to members in November.
While the deal was supported by the bargaining committee, there were those in the CUPE leadership who were less than enthusiastic about the proposal.
Laura Walton, the president of CUPE’s Council of School Boards Unions, previously said that while the wage offer was higher than previously mandated by the government, there was no new money yet for more services or staff.
Walton said while she feels the deal fell through, it’s time to bring the contract to the membership for a vote. Members had until December 4 to choose whether to accept or reject the deal.
This is breaking news. More to come.
