(Original Announcement, PDF)
Please set aside October 29th, 2026, at either 10:45 am. – Noon or 5:30 – 6:45pm for an important information session and ratification vote on our recently completed negotiated contract.
During the last two months, your CUPE476 Bargaining Committee sat down with the employer to negotiate updates for our 2025-2029
contract, focusing on concerns brought forward as well as housekeeping updates and applying portions of the Provincial Framework Agreement (PFA endorsed in April 2026), including the monetary portion.
Next Thursday, October 29th, the information sessions will have a quick overview of the PFA and a review of the negotiated changes
to our Local C/A. Afterwards, those registered members will receive a secure link to a secure vote where you will be asked:
“Are you in favour of this Memorandum of Agreement?”
We are working hard to ensure every single member has the information and opportunity to attend by hosting these information sessions in
advance opening the vote to the wider membership. We fully recognize that with members working from 6am – 11pm, 5 days a week, finding the perfect time is tricky.
The Provincial Framework Agreement is available for review ahead of the meeting. This, combined with our Local Agreement, creates the Memo of Agreements (MOA) and our full Collective Agreement.
It is important to note that this round, there was less flexibility than we have seen beforehand, though there were other improvements across the sector.
Key Highlights
Term Length
The agreement has a 4-year term in effect from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029. It includes a general wage increase of 3% in each year, retroactive to July 1, 2025.
Labour market adjustments
The agreement allocates $4.1 million for locals and school districts to jointly apply for labour market adjustments for positions facing recruitment and retention challenges.
Local bargaining
Local bargaining tables will have $15.9 million (qSD#47 and CUPE476 – $41,000) available to negotiate ongoing service and learning improvements that have a direct or supporting connection to student learning. This can include, but is not limited to, increased hours, increased full-time employees, and professional development. This funding will be allocated to local tables based on full-time
enrolled students in the districts, with a minimum amount allocated for small districts.
Public Education Benefits Trust
Our extended benefits program. Regular annual funding to the Trust will continue, with an additional $13,995,000 in new annual funding to ensure continuing long-term disability benefits.
Extended benefits
New funds are allocated for improving the Standardized Extended Benefits Plan.
Provincial Classification Support System
A new Job Evaluation Tool/Process – yet to be fully defined. During the term of the agreement, the K-12 Presidents Council and BCPSEA agree to finalize the Provincial Classification Support System. This replaces the Provincial Joint Job Evaluation Plan. Previously negotiated funds will be allocated to locals and districts to support existing or new job evaluation plans.
Addressing violence in the workplace
There are several new provisions addressing violence experienced by school support workers in the workplace. These provisions require employers to ensure workers have access to supports following work-related traumatic incidents, and provide and make workers aware of violence prevention and response materials, and procedures and forms to complete in response to violent incidents.
Contracting out
There is a new provision requiring school districts to provide information to locals on the contracting out of work.