Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 28/05) - Yellowknife Catholic school teachers are getting a 10 per cent raise and the promise that no more days will be tacked onto the school year.

It took about six months and two meetings of negotiations, but the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association (NWTTA) and the Catholic school district finally reached a collective agreement, Oct. 19.

Ninety-one per cent of the teachers voted in favour of the three-year agreement that will give them a three per cent raise in the first and second year and a four per cent raise in the third year.

For the first year of the contract, that means new teacher's salaries begin at $49,997 and range up to $88,591 for those with more experience and education.

The 107 teachers were also guaranteed they wouldn't have to teach for more than 192 days a year, on par with the current school year. The number of instructional hours required by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is covered within those days.

"There was some fear amongst the YSC teachers that we would see a school year expand," said Dave Roebuck, representative for the NWTTA.

The move was needed to give teachers stability, he said.

He called the raise and the school year guarantee the most important parts of the package.

Teachers will also get $600 dollars per year for professional development, up from $500 and more cash to take education courses.

Principals will get $20 per student on top of their base pay.

That number is up from $15 per pupil.

"We are very happy with the new collective agreement. Both sides came out in a win-win," said Barbara McKercher, human resources officer for the district. McKercher called the three-year agreement in the best interest of the students at the district's three schools. The last contract was only for two-years.

The union and the district first met in March to discuss a new collective agreement. The first negotiation session in May ended at an impasse, with both sides calling for mediation from the government.

Roebuck says the biggest problem was with the money offer from the district.

He said it created too much disparity amongst teachers.

Talks disintegrated and didn't pick up again until Oct. 12, the next available date. Teachers continued to operate on their old contract after it expired July 1.