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Teachers and territory ratify new three year deal

The Yukon government and the Yukon Teachers' Association have ratified a new collective agreement.

The Yukon government and the Yukon Teachers’ Association have ratified a new collective agreement.

The new deal, which lasts until June 2018, sees teachers getting a five per cent pay bump over the three years.

That works out to 1.5 per cent in 2015, 1.5 per cent in 2016 and two per cent in 2017.

The collective agreement covers approximately 840 teachers, education assistants, remedial tutors and native language instructors across the territory.

A joint statement yesterday says the new deal includes “several provisions to improve student behaviour and student academic achievement through the development of a positive, safe and responsible school culture and an early intervention and literacy development project.”

Acting YTA president Carol Sherlock said the teachers “felt the employer heard, identified with and was responsive to the concerns raised on behalf of Yukon educators.”

The contract includes, among other things, 15 weeks of parental leave for birth mothers, a health and safety allowance for employees on health and safety committees, increases in allowances for principals and vice principals and a respectful workplace provision and training plan.

“It was great to see a strong working relationship between the Department of Education and the Yukon Teachers’ Association throughout the negotiations,” Minister of Education Doug Graham said. “We look forward to continuing this positive relationship as it will ultimately benefit students, teachers and the community.”