December 20, 2014 - 12:02 PM
VANCOUVER - All education support workers in B.C. who negotiated agreements with the province this summer have ratified their contracts.
The province says the remaining seven districts and unions representing some 3,500 workers have recently signed on to their agreements.
The districts include Vancouver, Greater Victoria, Kootenay Lake, Coquitlam, Sunshine Coast, Central Coast and Peace River South.
This means more than 33,000 workers or 97 per cent of education support staff in the province have agreements in place.
The new agreement provides a 5.5 per cent wage increase over five years.
The support workers include bus drivers, crossing guards, education assistants, custodians, maintenance staff and clerical workers.
They'll be reimbursed within 30 days of ratification for scheduled time not paid during the months-long teachers' strike that began in June and has since ended.
The local union representing Abbotsford opted not to sign on to the provincial framework and has not reached a deal.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014