BCPSEA SERVICES

Collective Bargaining

Teachers

The Public Education Labour Relations Act establishes the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) as the certified bargaining agent for the province’s public school teachers and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) as the accredited bargaining agent for the province’s 60 public boards of education. While some matters are designated for negotiation at the local level, most matters — including all cost items — are bargained by the BCTF and BCPSEA at the provincial level.

Support Staff

BCPSEA delegates its support staff bargaining authority through its bylaws to individual boards of education. Boards bargain directly with their respective union locals. The role of BCPSEA under this model is to provide assistance to boards as they bargain and to ratify agreements.

To support local negotiations, the K-12 Presidents Council (CUPE) and Support Staff Unions bargains with BCPSEA at the provincial level to develop a Provincial Framework Agreement. This agreement in principle deals with key province-wide matters, including compensation. The Provincial Framework Agreement traditionally forms part of the memoranda of settlement negotiated at the school district level.

Labour Relations

BCPSEA provides advice and assistance to school district staff on collective agreement administration and interpretation, dispute management and resolution, and labour relations strategies. BCPSEA also manages and funds arbitrations.

Exempt Staff

BCPSEA provides advice and assistance on a wide range of exempt staff employment matters, including compensation, contracts, and public sector compensation reporting requirements.

Benefits Administration

Benefits Buying Group

The Benefits Buying Group is a BCPSEA initiative that realizes significant annual savings to the sector by optimizing benefits costs by combining the purchasing power of school districts and local accountability for benefits usage.

Public Education Benefits Trust (PEBT)

The Public Education Benefits Trust is a jointly trusteed plan between BCPSEA and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The PEBT is charged with three key functions:

  1. Implement and administer a long term disability (LTD) plan
  2. Implement and administer an early return to work program
  3. Implement and administer a program for districts to purchase their dental, extended health, life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

Make a Future

Make a Future is a recruitment initiative partnership with B.C.’s 60 public boards of education, the First Nations Education Steering Committee, and the Ministry of Education and Child Care. The Makeafuture.ca website is the official job board for B.C. public schools, independent schools, First Nations schools, and B.C.-certified offshore schools.

Oncore

Oncore is BCPSEA’s professional learning program offering a variety of HR related courses to school district human resources and other staff.

EDAS

The Employment Data Analysis System (EDAS) is a common data collection system between BCPSEA, the Ministry of Education and Child Care, and school districts to collect, share and use employment data from school districts. EDAS enables a data-driven approach to developing and managing labour relations and human resource initiatives in the public education sector, including collective bargaining and workforce planning.

Safety and Wellness

BCPSEA supports school districts with their occupational health and safety and workplace wellness needs.