Welcome back to another school year!

We hope you have all had a restful and relaxing summer and are re-energized for the year ahead. Over the summer there have been a few developments that we wish to share with you.

Firstly, after months of negotiations involving an arbitrator, the CTA and the District signed a settlement agreement on eight outstanding grievances. One of the significant settlements reached was on Middle School hours. The information on each of the settlements can be found on the CTA website under the “Collective Agreement” tab at the top of the page.

Secondly, bargaining between the BCTF and BCPSEA continued over the summer with the help of a mediator. After the most recent set of negotiations, the mediator told each party to take a break and review their proposals. The bargaining teams and the mediator will meet on September 23 to see if there is a way forward, with the goal of resuming talks on September 30.

We understand that these developments have led to some uncertainty as the school year starts up. The CTA will be holding a Special General Meeting on September 10 in order to address bargaining concerns. Teri Mooring, President of the BCTF and lead negotiator, will be at the meeting to answer questions.

Furthermore, the CTA released officers will be visiting every school in the first two months of this school year. We will be addressing any issues, concerns, or questions from school staffs at these meetings. We look forward to seeing you all!

In Solidarity,

Ed, Danielle, and Reid