Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 05/01) - The 450 teachers outside Yellowknife will receive a 5.5 per cent pay and benefits hike over the next two years if an agreement reached Oct. 27 is ratified next week.

The new contract was drafted after all-day talks by negotiating teams from the government and the NWT Teachers' Association working through mediator Vince Ready.

"We both reached an agreement that is fair and reasonable and will ensure that we can continue to have teachers recruited to the North and compensated in a reasonable manner," said employer spokeswoman Sylvia Haener, director of labour relations and compensation.

Under the terms of the tentative accord teachers will receive a 5.5 per cent pay and allowances increase over the next two years, a $250 increase in professional allowance, increases to the northern allowance for cost of living changes, and a six month increase in parental leave.

The previous contract expired Aug. 31. Previous bargaining sessions to draft a new agreement took place in March and May year.

Teachers will vote on whether to ratify the agreement by Nov. 7.

"The money -- the raise and the allowance -- are fine," said Rae Lakes Jean Wetrade Gameti School principal John Bourne. However, he is concerned that issues such as housing and increased travel allowances weren't addressed.

"If the government was trying to recruit and retain, by not addressing the housing issue they shot themselves in the foot," he said.

Housing was not on the table this weekend, said Haener. "The housing allowance is not an issue that we can bargain," she said, adding that teachers' housing is overseen by the legislative assembly.

The NWTTA plans to continue arguing for improvements in living conditions for teachers.

"In some our communities there are housing conditions which are of concerns to teachers, and we want to find a way by which we can address those," said NWTTA President David Murphy. "Obviously that will be outside of the collective agreement now."

Some teachers were positive about the contract.

"I'm happy with this offer," said Hay River Harry Camsell elementary school principal Gordon Miller. "It seems like the package is an improvement. I have confidence in our central executive, that they're considering to be a reasonable deal."