Lynn Lau
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jun 29/01) - Public school teachers voted Tuesday 71 per cent to accept a contract negotiated between their union and Yellowknife Education District No. 1.
The agreement will see teachers receive a 2.5 per cent wage increase in the first year of the contract and another three per cent in the second year. That translates into a raise of between $2,374 and $4,192 over two years.
Teachers will get an additional $10,000 in professional development and a half-hour lunch break during which they do not have to supervise students.
Education assistants will be reclassified on the pay grid, resulting in a nine-per-cent pay raise. Education assistants currently make between $24,552 and $35,896.
"Based on the financial constraints of the district at the time, a fair settlement was reached," said David Murphy, president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, referring to the $840,540 deficit the school board had been struggling with this year.
"It was also very important getting the time-off, duty-free lunch hour because up to this point in time, some just didn't have breaks. It would just be supervision."
Although not included in the contract, the board and the union agreed to discuss a number of issues in the future including the length of the school year, the length of the school day, class size and special needs.
The pay increases were within what the board had budgeted for, said board finance committee chair Terry Brookes. "It keeps us within the framework of our budget so we're happy there."
Chriss Tricoteux, president of the union for Yellowknife public school teachers, said she thought teachers conceded a lot because of the board's deficit. "We'd like to keep up with the cost of living, which I don't think is happening but this is the best way. We can go for more when they're more financially secure."
The teachers' union represents 191 teachers and education assistants in the public school district. Of those eligible to vote, 97 per cent turned out.
Their last contract was to expire at the end of August.
Teachers currently make between $42,567 for a new graduate to $75,202 for a teacher with a six years of university and 11 years of experience.
