In what was likely their fastest collective bargaining meeting ever, Holy Trinity Catholic School Division and CUPE Local 5506 managed to hammer out a new four-year agreement in one day.
The current collective agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2019, and both parties continued to operate under the existing agreement until this year. Negotiations between the division and CUPE then commenced on April 15, 2021, and concluded that day, according to a board of education report. CUPE and the division agreed to negotiate only monetary items and settled on a total increase of 7.5 per cent:
- One-per-cent increase from Jan. 1, 2020 to Aug. 31, 2021
- Two-per-cent increase from Sept. 1, 2021 to Aug. 31, 2022
- Two-per-cent increase from Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023
- 2.5-per-cent increase from Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024
“I must say, that’s the fastest agreement anybody has ever signed,” board chair Joann Blazieko said during the May meeting.
“It was a fast and furious day, for sure,” agreed Dave DePape, superintendent of human resources and operations.
Completing the negotiations was done at “warp speed,” echoed Curt Van Parys, chief financial officer. He was astounded that it happened so fast, especially since he was sceptical about the positive working relationship the division had with its employee groups.
Having worked with other school divisions, Van Parys recalled the hours and days required when bargaining collective agreements there. However, after this negotiation, he admitted he is no longer sceptical about the relationship with the unions.
Members of the division’s negotiating team were important to completing this agreement, while they also performed plenty of pre-work and had many pre-meeting discussions to learn what the union wanted, said DePape.
One highlight of the new agreement is its length; the union wanted a two-year agreement, but that wouldn’t have been long enough, DePape pointed out. Extending the agreement to 2024 was “rewarding,” while minimizing retro pay was also important; division administration calculated it could handle the increase of one per cent.
What the division and union normally do after negotiations is hold a small celebration with wine and cheese to acknowledge the good work of both sides, he said. They weren’t able to do that this time but will look at having something in the future.
To recognize the positive relationship and collaborative approach with CUPE, DePape suggested that the board ratify the new agreement and send a card of thanks to CUPE Local 5506.
The board then voted unanimously to approve DePape’s suggestion.
The next Holy Trinity board of education meeting is Monday, June 21.
