CUPE Local 476 is an organized group of workers who have entered into a Collective Agreement with the Board of Education for School District #47. CUPE 476 members work in a variety of roles and sites throughout SD#47 operations.
CUPE 476 members live and work in the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples from the Treaty lands of the Tla’amin Nation (qathet Regional District (qRD) and City of Powell River) along with the traditional territories of the K’ómoks First Nation and the Xwe’malhkwu (Homalco) on Vancouver Island as well as the Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish Nation including Bowen Island).
We are the Bus Drivers, Clerical (Accounting, Secretarial etc.), Custodians, ECE/Strong Start, Educational Assistants, IT, Technical, Office Managers, Tradespeople, and other staff keeping BC public schools and their programs operating, clean, safe, and inclusive. Our local union received its charter from CUPE National in the early 1950’s and are affiliated with both CUPE National and CUPE British Columbia. CUPE476 is part of the more than 26,000 education workers in B.C.’s public schools supported by the K-12 Presidents’ Council.
Through union membership, workers come together to make decisions about the conditions of their work (wages, work hours, benefits, workplace health and safety, and other work-related and social issues).
Currently our membership exceeds 150, with some members who have worked 30 years as well as those who have only begun working weekly on a casual call-out basis.
Traditionally, our meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of the month at the union office, however with the added 2020-2021 Health & Safety measures needed, we have moved to an online/remote format. We have been meeting the needs of the whole membership as well as different categories and departmental concerns this way since spring 2020. For now, we have found the most effective way to keep everyone up-to-date and maintain connection is to host Q & A sessions. We have also hosted special Membership Meetings and have sent updates and Newsletters as well.
CUPE 476 shares an office with the BCTF’s Powell River District Teachers Association (PRDTA). We would prefer that at this time no one drops in, but instead please contact us to make an appointment. You can request a meeting by calling the office number and leaving a message or emailing. Currently, the President is in the office on Thursdays and Fridays each week.
The Executive of CUPE 476 is here to work with, advocate for and support you, as a member of our Local Union. Please don’t hesitate to get in-touch.
If you are newly hired with SD#47, we hope to be able to meet in person during your SD#47 orientation, however, should that not happen, we ask that you reach out to us to arrange an introduction.
We welcome you and any questions you may have, whether they are about our local union CUPE476; the Collective Agreement with SD#47 and the Province of BC; your rights and responsibilities as a worker and anything else that comes to mind.