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Five-Year Agreement Reached for BC Teachers

July 1, 2006

VICTORIA – A five-year agreement has been reached for British Columbia's public school teachers, Finance Minister Carole Taylor announced today.

The 16 per cent compensation package extends to 2011 and includes a 12 per cent general wage increase, two per cent LTD allowance due to the fact the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) funds its own long-term disability program, 0.5 per cent to encourage teachers to join rural and remote school districts and 1.5 per cent to continue the standardization of the salary grids started by Vince Ready.

Upon ratification, teachers will receive $3,700 in an early signing incentive for finalizing the new contract before the expiry of the existing one and up to $1,000 in 2010 because of the length of the agreement.

This agreement covers approximately 40,000 elementary and secondary school teachers represented by the BCTF. Ratification votes will take place in July by BCTF members and the British Columbia Public School Employers' Association, the employers' association for all 60 school districts.

"Teachers are, quite rightly, proud and passionate about the tremendous work they do in classrooms across our province," said Taylor. "And that passion was evident throughout negotiations. I want to thank negotiators on both sides of the table for all their hard work and effort."

When ratified, the agreement will mark the first negotiated contract between the BCTF and BCPSEA since provincewide bargaining began in 1994.

"This agreement is good for teachers, students and parents," said Education Minister Shirley Bond. "It means that when school begins again in September teachers, parents and students will be able to focus on what matters most: learning."

"We've worked hard to build a stronger, more positive relationship with teachers across the province," said Bond. "This five-year agreement will help everyone build on these gains. As we continue to work together, it's our students who benefit most."

"This is an important milestone," said Taylor. "It covers the last remaining large group of employees to reach agreement under B.C.'s negotiating framework.

"But I hope that it also represents a new beginning. Whether it's in health care, or education, or any other sector, the new approach to negotiations shows what is possible when all the parties sit down, listen carefully, and work together. We've managed to reach 137 different agreements; each one fair to employees and affordable for taxpayers. As we move forward, that common approach will help us deliver better services for British Columbians."

To date, 100 per cent of the agreements have been reached under the negotiating framework out of 137 up for renewal. Those agreements cover more than 300,000 employees, roughly 97 per cent of all public sector employees.

A further 9,000 public sector employees are under 18 contracts that expire after June 30, 2006.

Updated bargaining information is available at www.negotiationframework.com.
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Authorized By Jim Pipe, Financial Agent BC Liberal Party.
Tel: 604.606.6000, 1.800.567.2257