A contract agreement between the Services Employment International Union (SEIU) West sector and the South East Cornerstone Public School Division has been ratified.
The agreement was solidified when a tentative contract received a unanimous vote of approval from the Cornerstone board of trustees on Feb. 13 during their regular open business session.
Keith Keating, deputy director of education for Cornerstone, who was a member of the division’s negotiating team, shared information about the contract with the media following the meeting.
Board chairwoman, Audrey Trombley joined the discussion and noted that this was a four-year agreement.
“We gave the union members that option of a two, three or four-year contract,” she said.
The two sides reached an agreement for a one per cent increase in basic wages for the first year with two per cent hikes in each of the succeeding years, making it a total of seven per cent over the four years.
Talks about a new contract began in November of last year, Keating said. And after three negotiating sessions, a tentative agreement was drawn up just before Christmas and finally ratified by both sides.
The previous agreement had included two years at zero per cent as the bargaining occurred during a very difficult financial environment. The bargaining session prior to that between the two agencies had not gone as well, leading to a 21-day strike in 2015 before the two sides arrived at an agreement.
Trombley said at that time, the new reality was the need for severe cutbacks due to lessened foundation financing, something they were able to avoid this time.
Approximately 225 Cornerstone employees are members of SEIU-West and they include professions such as bus drivers, caretakers, administration assistants, education assistants, librarians and some cafeteria and maintenance personnel.
Talks are ongoing regarding a new contract for about another 190 Cornerstone employees who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) who are currently without a contract but continue to work within the scope of the previous agreement. They also represent some employees in similar occupations.
“We hope to have that one completed soon,” said Keating.
Bruce Kwochka, payroll manager for Cornerstone, provided the employee numbers used for the discussion with the media.
The terms of the contract are retroactive to Sept. 1 of 2018 and extend to the end of August 2022.
“It didn’t take that long and both sides, I believe, felt a fair agreement was reached,” said Keating.
