An update from the provincial K-12 Bargaining Committee:

After months of training, research, consultations and discussions, the K-12 provincial bargaining committee is ready to head to the table. Today, the K-12 Presidents Council gave its overwhelming endorsement to the bargaining committee’s proposals and priorities for a new provincial framework agreement. Guided by the results of the provincial bargaining survey, the top bargaining priorities will be:

• Fair wages that recognize the value of B.C.’s over 30,000 school support workers.
• Increased hours of work available to school support workers so they can make enough to live in the communities they serve.
• Securing public child care in our public schools.
• Addressing the rising violence against school support workers in their workplaces.

Bargaining for the next Provincial Framework Agreement will begin April 14, 2025, with a 3-day meeting between the K-12 provincial bargaining committee and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association. Additional bargaining dates have been scheduled in May and June. Collective agreements for K-12 sector locals in B.C. expire on June 30, 2025.

The bargaining committee will be sending out regular bulletins as negotiations progress. Watch for them at bcschools.cupe.ca, directly from your local, and on Facebook @cupek12bc.

Click on the link for more information on the K-12 Bargaining Committee and understanding local and provincial bargaining: BC K12 Bargaining Primer March 2025

Dear CUPE 411 Members,

Thank you to everyone who attended the General Membership Meeting on Thursday, March 13, 2025. I know everyone is very busy, especially with Spring Break being a day away, so I truly appreciate your time and presence at the meeting.

I am grateful to the members for trusting me to lead the membership over the next year and a half!

My goals for the next few months include:

• Organizing the CUPE 411 office.
• Reviewing, resolving, and settling outstanding grievances.
• Attending important education and training sessions.
• Working with a team to update our bylaws.
• Collaborating with the bargaining team to plan and prepare for negotiations.
• Meeting regularly with the National Rep for guidance.
• Spending time with the Treasurer to ensure all activities align with the approved budget.

Lastly, I promise to continue advocating for safe workplaces, provide the membership with trained and knowledgeable representatives, interpret the Collective Agreement accurately, and offer the best advice possible.

Thank you to my fellow executive members for encouraging me to step up and run for the President’s role, and for believing in my ability to fulfill it.

Thank you to my family for supporting me in taking on this new opportunity.

Congratulations to Tammy Lambert on being elected to the two-year Assistants Shop Steward role!

We have a great executive team, but remember, we are all the union, and I look forward to this partnership!

April Mancinelli

On Monday February 17, 2025, the CUPE 411 executive messaged all three candidates one question:

As per the BCSTA website: “As employers, school districts have a legal responsibility for oversight of their management, teaching and support staff. For unionized staff, the terms and conditions of the relationship are established through legislation, board policy, and in collective agreements. Boards of education represent the employer in this relationship.”

Please share, in 100 words or less, how you (as a Trustee) can support CUPE 411 members. Please provide an example of why you believe CUPE support staff are important members of School District 33.

Here are their responses (in order of when they were received):

Katie Bartel (02/17/25)
“As Trustee, I will advocate for CUPE 411 members to ensure their essential contributions are recognized and supported. CUPE members play a vital role in meeting students’ academic and emotional needs, whether they’re the first face students see at school or on the bus, keeping spaces clean, or supporting learning. I’ve seen how EAs help my daughter thrive. I’m passionate about advocating for collaborative prep time between EAs and teachers, stronger strategies to reduce the challenges EAs face daily, and increased recruitment and training to meet our schools’ growing needs. CUPE members deserve resources and respect from the School Board.”

Laurie Throness (02/19/25)
“If elected as a School Board member who must sit on the management side of the negotiating table, I will negotiate fairly and in good faith with their bargaining agents, and I will always thank and appreciate support staff.  Our District couldn’t function without them.
I will pay special attention to support staff safety in schools, to academic achievement for their children, and I will protect and defend their interests as taxpayers.”

Shane Kooyman (02/20/25)
“I sincerely feel that CUPE 411 members are an unshakeable pillar of our school community in School District 33. Your endless efforts—be it through offering additional assistance to students with disabilities, maintaining settings tidy and safe, or pushing the struggle for improved wages and terms of employment—better reflect the spirit of commitment and solidarity. As your representative, I vow that your voices will be heard in every and all board decisions, working to build a transparent, accountable system valuing your knowledge and work. We can build a more just, responsive education system that respects and rewards your hard work together.”

We want to thank all three candidates for their responses.

We encourage all our members to vote in the by-election, as a democratic right, and as a responsible citizen of the community.

Please see the following website for local voting dates, times, and locations: https://www.chilliwack.com/main/page.cfm?id=2446

Our March General meeting is on March 13, 2025 at 7pm at the CUPE 411 office. This has been changed from a zoom meeting to accomodate an election for President, and will be first on the agenda.Meeting notice is accessed by clicking the link below

March 2025 Gen meet notice

The next January 2025 – Regular Meeting Notice is taking place on Saturday, January 18, 2025, starting at 9:30am in the second floor Seminar room at 8472 Harvard Place, we hope that you are able to join us and immediately following that meeting we will be holding an Election for the Transportation Division Bargaining Committee Representative.  Members from the Transportation Division are the only ones eligible to sit in and cast a vote so we encourage as many members to come out and actively participate in this process.

We will also be holding an Election for the Maintenance Division Bargaining Committee Representative on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 starting at 3:30pm in the lunch room at the Facilities Department.  Members from the Maintenance Division are the only ones eligible to sit in and cast a vote, so again we encourage as many members to stop in after work and actively participate in this process.

We would also like to send well wishes for a very Happy & Healthy New Year to all our members!

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411 Executive

We are looking for both Mentors and Mentees for this Union/Employer initiative as such we are now accepting applications for the 2025 Mentorship Program.  This program is open to all Special Needs and Indigenous EA’s, CYCW, and Clerical, we would also consider applications from WEX Facilitators.

What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a relationship based process where the mentor and the mentee have a shared commitment of time and effort to developing skills and knowledge, the goal of this process is to help someone reach their full potential by providing objective advice, feedback and encouragement.

What is a Mentor? 
A Mentor is an experienced individual who provides guidance and support to another person.  They are often older and wiser with established credibility and a track record of success in their respective fields.
Mentorship Application

What is a Mentee?
A Mentee is an individual who receives guidance and support from a more experienced and/or knowledgeable person.
Mentee Application

This is a great opportunity for those with a wide breadth of knowledge and experience to share that with their junior counterparts.  Mentors are not meant to be teacher’s or coach’s but rather a trusted advisor offering insight, encouragement and constructive feedback.  For the Mentee this provides a resource that you can lean into when facing challenging situations and help fill up that toolbox so that when a difficult situation presents itself you will be well equipped to respond.

Deadline for submission is December 20, 2024, for more information regarding this program please feel free to call, 604-392-1411 or email, unionoffice@cupe411.ca and we would be more than happy to answer any questions or address any concerns that you may have.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 411

 

• The party is confirmed for Saturday, December 14^th , 5:00pm at Flashback Brewery on Mill St.
• Tickets available to CUPE 411 members only.
• Hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic refreshments will be served by CUPE; beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks can be purchased at the brewery.
• The ticket price is $10.00, or preferably a wrapped gift of similar value for the White Elephant gift exchange we will be holding at the party.
• You can register for the event at our website under the “Member Engagement Event Registration”. Confirmation of your ticket will be made after purchase. Gift drop off or payment can be made at the union office. We will be accepting ticket purchases up until the 12th, or until all tickets have been sold.

Additional information was sent out to the following members via email on Friday, November 8, 2024 regarding Bargaining and Casual Replacements.

The following were details sent specifically to permanent and casual members from the Assistants and Clerical divisions as the Union will be hosting an election for a bargaining rep from each division as follows:

Clerical – November 14, 2024 from 6:30-6:45pm at 8472 Harvard Place (2nd Floor Seminar Room)

• 2025 Bargaining – Clerical Division Rep – Election Process

Assistants – November 14, 2024 immediately following the General Membership meeting (approx. 8:00pm) at 8472 Harvard Place (2nd Floor Seminar Room)

• 2025 Bargaining – Assistants Division Rep – Election Process

We also sent out a survey to all our casual members inquiring about the call-out process and we would welcome your responses and feedback on this, on or before November 20, 2024.

In Solidarity

NOTE:  Members wishing to submit a letter allowing their name to stand for either of the above noted bargaining representative positions must send such correspondence to unionoffice@cupe411.ca before 4:00pm on Thursday, November 14, 2024.  Please know that someone attending the meeting must still nominate you for the said position.

Just a friendly reminder of the upcoming general membership meeting.  We will be hosting this meeting in-person at the Union office as we have elections that we need to run for both the Clerical and Custodial Shop Steward Vacancies and we are also hoping to present the 2025 Budget for approval.

We also intend to run elections for the Assistants and Clerical Bargaining representatives, more details on this will be shared out with members of those respective divisions next week.

The Union has been made aware of various surveys, questionnaires and discussions that have been taking place with our members and requesting that they disclose private/personal information.  An email went out to all members today for consideration.

We also want members to be aware that while the BC Government did bring into legislation the “Pay Transparency Act“, their website clearly states that the request for such information is VOLUNTARY! (see below)