Obligation to Collective Agreement key focus for PRDTU following SD52 Budget session

As we outlined today, the elected trustees of School District 52 finalized their budget last week, a process that took the trustees into June owing to the announcement of an 800,000 dollar deficit, that for the second year in a row.

The full overview of the Budget session can be reviewed here, it was a process of just over an hour which saw trustees address the deficit with cuts to a range of areas, the largest of note that of the Itinerant Teacher program.

Of note for the teachers from that session were the observations of Prince Rupert and District Teachers Union President Gabriel Bureau, who reminded the Board of their obligations under the collective agreement.

"I'm still a little puzzled about how, well it seems like there will be layoffs happening in the next few days in the Teaching staff and with the collective agreement I don't see how that will happen, as we have passed the deadline of May 31st. And the savings that you are predicting by passing the budget so late  may not actually be there, or all there. And I think that will  be a big problem. And It think, that's something that trustees have been informed over and over that I think a budget passed May 31st would definitely create lots of problems"

That was the focus for the PRDTU in a follow up note for the membership on Friday, noting that the delay of the Board to make their decisions could carry the issue of layoffs well into next year.

Members will receive layoff notices past the May 31st deadline. The PRDTU understands that this possibility creates stress for our members. We will do everything in our power to ensure that our Collective Agreement is followed. 

No teacher layoffs should be effective in September. According to the Collective Agreement, the next window for layoffs to become effective is after the end of a term or Winter Break – not in September.

 

The full PRDTU statement can be reviewed below:

At the Thursday meeting,  the SD52 Board members offered no other comment to the PRDTU president on the topic, other than a hope that in 2023, whoever has been elected to the Board will be able to deliver their Budget decision making prior to the May 31st mark.

Though considering the delay in crafting their budget this year, the current board which will see a number of departures in the fall, will be leaving the incoming one with more than an few challenges right out of the gate once they take office following the October election period.

You can review more notes on Education from our archive page here.