|
Revised (Nov 20 2008)
Bargaining with union groups
|
Questions to consider:
- When do the union collective agreements expire?
- What is the district climate for the various staff groups? How is it measured?
|
Boards of education are represented by an accredited bargaining agent, the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA).
BCPSEA is a member of the Public Sector Employers’ Council, established by the provincial government to provide a link between the government and public sector bodies. It is the employers’ association for all public boards of education and the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF).
Representatives from the boards and the CSF elect nine school trustees, including the chair and the vice-chair, to the board of directors. They are joined by four government representatives and a non-voting representative each from the BC School Superintendents Association and the BC School District Secretary-Treasurers’ Association.
BCPSEA is responsible for:
- negotiating provincially with the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation for a provincial teachers’ collective agreement covering all boards and the CSF, and for coordinating local bargaining between the boards and their local teachers’ associations
- providing assistance, resources and coordination for support-staff collective bargaining and giving final approval of the locally negotiated collective agreements
- providing boards with labour relations advice and services, including contract interpretation and grievance and arbitration case management
- coordinating compensation for employees who are not subject to collective agreements (the “exempt staff”—administrative and management staff)
- coordinating benefits administration among the various school districts in order to maximize coverage in the most cost-effective manner, and
- promoting effective and cooperative human resources practices in the public school system.
Collective agreements with teachers are negotiated at the provincial level, except for some non-cost items that are dealt with at the district level. Provincial government legislative intervention in collective bargaining has become common in the education sector.
Collective agreements with non-teaching staff are negotiated by boards of education, subject to BCPSEA ratification. These agreements allow boards to negotiate some issues locally. Boards may delegate personnel and management decisions or ratify the decisions of their officers. Some examples include hiring, discipline, transfers and leaves of absence.
Teacher bargaining is done in two parts, with salary and related matters negotiated at the provincial level and the board and local teacher federation negotiating non-salary items. Since almost everything is tied to funding, the vast majority of issues are dealt with at the provincial level.
The secretary treasurer or a designated administrator handles local bargaining issues, support-staff labour relations and liaises with BCPSEA. The various personnel-related matters, such as staff professional development, leaves of absence, assignment grievance procedures, etc., are addressed through board policy, local agreements and ongoing supervision by the district’s human resources staff.
The most critical dimensions of employer-staff relations—morale, district climate and interpersonal culture—are the responsibility of the board and its senior officials who set the tone for all interactions.
|
Appeals
