Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools have announced the ratification of a new collective agreement with UNIFOR Local 328, which represents around 300 support staffers.
UNIFOR passed the Memorandum of Agreement at a general meeting on February 5th, and the School Board followed up at a special meeting held on February 6th.
Local President, Darryl Theisen says he is happy to see the agreement reached so quickly, and calls it a “step in the right direction” to ensure members receive fair compensation.
“We are pleased with how quickly this agreement was reached,” he says. “We believe this is a step in the right direction to ensure that our members receive fair and equitable compensation for the hard work they do in supporting the education of the students in our division.”
The four-year agreement will be in place, retroactive to September 1st, 2024, until August 30th, 2028. The new agreement provides employees with an annual three per cent wage increase, and both sides agreed to an “enhanced” work week for Educational Assistants.