The 78 members of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) who provide child care services at Simon Fraser University have voted by overwhelming majority to ratify a new collective agreement.
The three year agreement includes a seven percent wage increase, effective immediately, plus a $2,100 signing bonus for full-time workers (adjusted for part-time and casual workers). Also of note, a joint committee will now design an education program around bullying in the workplace.
BCGEU president Darryl Walker says, "It's important that our members have made financial gains under this agreement at a time when wages and working conditions in the child care sector are faltering, as government support shrinks for these vital services. Early childhood educators, as a group, are among the lowest-paid professionals in our society.
"Many of our members have worked at SFU Childcare for upwards of twenty years. They all look forward to being able to provide for their own families, while continuing to support the children and families in the SFU community. This new agreement helps to make that possible."
