Teachers get pay hike
Teachers contract ratified

Kim Barraclough
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 25/99) - Come September, Yellowknife's public school teachers will get something they haven't received since 1992 -- a pay increase.

The current salary of a teacher with no teaching experience, but four years of teacher training, is $40,915.

For a teacher with five years of teaching experience the current salary is $50,966.

September will see a change in these wages when Yellowknife's public school teachers' contract is ratified.

As of Sept. 1, 1999, the ratified contract will be effective.

On Monday, 81 per cent of the public school teachers voted to ratify a two- year contract with the school board.

On Tuesday night, the school board agreed to ratify the contract as well.

Some of the highlights of the ratification include a two per cent grid increase, effective Sept. 1, 1999, and a two per cent grid increase effective Sept. 1, 2000. The professional development fund will be decreased to $40,000 from $60,000 and a teacher/board advisory committee will be established.

Pat Thomas, president of the NWT Teachers Association, is satisfied with the agreement.

"I think they're worth more, but this is good -- we can live with this."

Thomas stressed the fact that the teachers have not seen an increase in about seven years and this agreement is long overdue.

"They definitely deserve the money," Thomas said, adding, she was also pleased the teachers reached an agreement with the school board.

"This contract is a good beginning to restoring a positive working relationship with the board."

Wendy Bisaro, chairperson of negotiations for the school board, was also pleased with how the negotiations went.

"We bargained well -- we bargained respectfully -- it's a win-win situation," she said.

Bisaro added that she felt both sides feel positive about the agreement.

She said that, as of yet, no date has been set for an official signing of the agreement, but believes it should be a done deal in the near future.