Support Staff Collective Bargaining 2025
For the 2025 bargaining round, local support staff bargaining began in March 2025.
The Provincial Framework Agreement bargaining commenced in April 2025.
For further information about 2025 collective bargaining in the K-12 public education sector please see Collective Bargaining 2025 – Backgrounder – Process and Timeline.
Bargaining Updates
April 13, 2026
The BC Public School Employers’ Association and the CUPE K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions have reached a tentative Provincial Framework Agreement based on the Balanced Measures Mandate.
The parties have been bargaining since April 2025 and tentative agreement was reached on April 11, 2026. Details will be made available once both parties have reviewed the tentative agreement with their members.
This tentative agreement sets the stage for local school district bargaining to begin. For support staff collective bargaining, boards of education bargain directly with their union locals at the school district level. To support local negotiations, the CUPE K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions bargains with BCPSEA at the provincial level to develop the Provincial Framework Agreement. This agreement in principle deals with key province-wide matters, including compensation, and traditionally forms part of the memoranda of settlement negotiated at the school district level.
In Kindergarten to Grade 12 public education in BC there are approximately 43,000 unionized support staff. These employees work in roles such as education assistants, Indigenous support workers, administrative assistants, information technology, custodial and facilities, maintenance, trades, and transportation staff.
March 15, 2026
Provincial bargaining for the Provincial Framework Agreement with support staff unions is scheduled for March 25 & 26 and April 9 & 10, 2026.
February 6, 2026
BCPSEA and the CUPE K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions will be bargaining next on February 17, 2026.
November 26, 2025
Provincial bargaining continues for both teachers and support staff. Thus far, agreement has been reached on 11 items with the BCTF and nine items with the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions. Both tables continue to discuss monetary items. The next provincial bargaining dates with teachers are December 16 and 17, 2025, and for support staff the parties are currently booking dates, likely in January.
November 4, 2025
Provincial bargaining continues for both teachers and support staff. Thus far, we have reached agreement on seven items with the BCTF and nine items with the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions. The next provincial bargaining dates with teachers are November 17, 18, 24, and 25. The next provincial bargaining dates with support staff are November 19 and 20.
October 2, 2025
Collective bargaining continues at the provincial level (i.e., Provincial Framework Agreement negotiations) with progress being made and items agreed-to at the table. Bargaining dates are set between BCPSEA and the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions for October 16-18 and November 4-5.
Local support staff bargaining is also in progress at many school districts on non-monetary items.
July 31, 2025
The parties have met six times thus far. Additional bargaining dates for during the 2025-2026 school year are being set. The first two dates will be September 22-23, 2025.
May 30, 2025
Local support staff bargaining
BCPSEA has received and approved all local support staff bargaining plans (69 plans in total). Support staff tables are open and bargaining of non-monetary items can begin.
Provincial support staff framework agreement bargaining
BCPSEA and the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions met again for two days on May 26 and 27, 2025, for a total of five bargaining days so far. The parties are engaging in meaningful and respectful discussions.
April 29, 2025
BCPSEA and the K-12 Presidents’ Council and Support Staff Unions met for three days from April 14-16, 2025. Both parties tabled their opening proposals. We will be bargaining next on May 26 and 27, 2025.
March 12, 2025
The BCPSEA provincial bargaining table team for Support staff Provincial Framework Agreement bargaining is as follows:
- Justin Rempel – Lead Negotiator
- Tara Sweet – BCPSEA bargaining team member
- Tammy Sowinski – BCPSEA bargaining team member
- Diana Lozano – BCPSEA bargaining team notetaker
- Ken Dawson – Public Sector Employers’ Council Secretariat representative
- Shirley Wilson – Trustee, Abbotsford School District
- Rob Zandee – Trustee, Okanagan-Similkameen School District
We have set the following dates with the K-12 Presidents’ Council:
- April 14 – 16
- May 26 – 27
- June 19