Employees welcome increases and improvements - Carolyn Carter
Fredericton (16 March 2007) - Employees of the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA) have approved a tentative agreement negotiated in January.
The workers, members of Local 20p of the New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees (NBUPPE/NUPGE), cast ballots by mail. All members participating voted in favour. The local includes members who work in schools across the province, providing interpretation and language services to students who are deaf or have hearing difficulties.
The new agreement contains four retroactive wage increases totalling 10.7%. They include a special one-time raise of 2% effective April 1, 2004, plus three additional increases of 2.9%, effective on April 1, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The union says a further increase for April 1, 2007 will be set following "the Nova Scotia Civil Service Award."
Effective April 1, 2006, the mileage rate was raised to 38.85 cents per kilometer while meals, incidental and accommodation allowances have also been improved.
Bereavement Leave has also been expanded to provide for inclusion of a daughter-in-law or son-in-law in the category providing for the five-day immediate family leave. One day's leave with pay has been extended to other family members.
The agreement also provides improvements to court leave and parental and adoption leave. It will include a new compassionate care leave as well as increases in medical and dental leave by one additional day.
Local president Carolyn Carter says members "are pleased with the increases and improvements." While it has "addressed many of our concerns" the union is already "preparing for the next round of bargaining that will commence when this one expires on March 31, 2008,” she adds. NUPGE
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
