The Canadian Union of Public Employees has presented its bargaining proposals for education workers to the provincial government.
The union representing some 55,000 administration staff, custodians, educational assistants and early childhood educators is asking for a wage hike of 11.7%.
This would take the average wage of $27 an hour to just over $31.
The province passed legislation in 2019 that capped wage increases at one per cent a year, but that’s set to expire shortly.
The bargaining proposal would cover the rising cost of inflation which was clocked at 8.1 per cent in June.
Inflation over the next three years is projected to be at least 15-17%.
CUPE officials say education workers wages were cut by more than 11% from 2012 to 2021 through the legislated wage freezes and restriction on pay increases.
Contracts for education workers expire at the end of the month.
Other key components in the proposal:
-Pay casual and temporary employees the same rate as permanent employees
-Require each school board to have a minimum staffing complement and limit boards’ ability to cut staffing levels and the services provided to students
-Guarantee a Designated Early Childhood Educator is assigned to every Kindergarten class
-Funding to create new jobs to enhance the services provided to students
-Establish minimum weekly hours of work for full-time education worker jobs
-Establish minimum standards on vacation, leaves of absence, and other conditions of employment
-Funding increases to allow for improvements to benefits
-Paid prep time for employees whose core duties are directly related to student/learner instruction
-Violence prevention training and recommendations to prevent violence in schools.
