Legal News

CUPE's K-12 Sectoral Bargaining Committee Insists on Identical Language

CUPE’s K-12 Sectoral Bargaining Committee in BC has made public its intention to insist on identical language on a number of important outstanding clauses in every support staff collective agreement. In a recent bulletin to its members, the committee refers to the four hour minimum, threshold ability, Joint Benefits trust, LTD, secondary seniority and other issues referred to in the IIC #2 report, and states: “These issues are provincial in nature and while they are not particularly complicated, it is important that they be described using the same language in every local.” This approach contradicts the referral of many of these issues back to each district for negotiation of language that best meets the conditions and bargaining history in that district. It also is inconsistent with the process of settlement of unresolved language through final offer selection as ordered by the Industrial Inquiry Commission.