PVNC Catholic and CUPE Local 1453 reach local collective agreement
Feb. 7, 2023
Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce that it has reached a local collective agreement with CUPE Local 1453.
PVNC Catholic employs about 800 CUPE members, representing support staff such as custodians, maintenance staff, secretaries, educational assistants, early childhood educators, learning commons specialists, paraprofessionals and central IT employees among others.
A tentative agreement was reached on Jan. 24, 2023 after eight days of local bargaining. It was ratified by local CUPE members on Jan. 28, 2023.
Trustees approved the agreement during a special board meeting held on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.
“We are so pleased to have reached this agreement with our dedicated support workers. It’s an indication of the strong working relationship we enjoy with our CUPE partners,” Director of Education Joan Carragher said. “I thank all the hard-working members of the bargaining teams on both sides for their dedication to the process and their spirit of collaboration and cooperation.”
Nora Shaughnessy, President of CUPE Local 1453 says, “This agreement is a reflection of a commitment to working together to negotiate in good faith and reach a deal that benefits the Board and CUPE Local 1453 members. I am pleased that a deal was reached, and I couldn’t be happier for the members of CUPE Local 1453. I look forward to working together over the next four years.”
CUPE and the Ontario government reached a tentative central agreement in November, which was ratified by the union in December.
The collective bargaining framework for the education sector features a two-tier bargaining process involving both central and local bargaining. Central bargaining typically includes significant monetary and policy issues (e.g. compensation, benefits and paid leaves), while local negotiations typically involve non-monetary issues or matters specific to the local board.