Joint news release with the Yukon Teachers’ Association
On January 14, members of the Yukon Teachers’ Association (YTA) voted to ratify a new three-year collective agreement with the Government of Yukon. The new agreement will expire on June 30, 2021.
The revised agreement includes a range of provisions including changes to maternity and parental leave, defining the criteria to convert temporary employees to indeterminate employees, and enabling substitutes to be included in the YTA bargaining unit.
I would like to thank the bargaining teams for their professionalism and diligence that has allowed us to achieve a fair and financially responsible collective agreement that meets the needs of Yukon educators. The new agreement resolves many outstanding issues to the satisfaction of both parties and I look forward to us continuing to work together to achieve the best outcomes for Yukon students.
Minister for the Public Service Commission Richard Mostyn
The Yukon Teachers’ Association is an essential partner in our efforts to provide educational programming and supports that meet the needs of Yukon students. We are glad to have reached an agreement that supports our teachers and school staff in our effort to ensure Yukon learners have the skills and knowledge they need to live happy, healthy lives.
Minister of Education Tracy-Anne McPhee
The new agreement is good news for Yukon families, students and educators. It represents significant progress in the modernization of Yukon education labour standards, which will be key to attracting qualified educators to our territory.
Yukon Teachers’ Association president Sue Harding
The collective agreement covers a total of approximately 900 principals, vice-principals, teachers, education assistants, remedial tutors and Aboriginal language teachers throughout Yukon.
Negotiations began in May 2018 to replace the previous collective agreement, which expired in June 2018.
The new agreement must be implemented within 90 days.
See backgrounder for highlights of the new collective agreement.
Among its terms, the new Yukon Teachers’ Association (YTA) collective agreement calls for:
- Yearly salary increases totalling 6.7 per cent over three years.
- Moving YTA employees to a biweekly pay system to ensure they are paid throughout the whole year instead of only during the school year.
- Extending supplementary benefits to employees on maternity and parental leave throughout the calendar year and not just the school year.
- Additional 3.2 per cent increase in salary for qualified Education Assistants and Tutors.
- Increasing community allowances by 5 per cent for school staff working in our communities.
- Adding “gender identity or gender expression” as a prohibited ground of discrimination.
- Ending resignation and retirement severance accruals as of June 30, 2018. Current entitlements are unaffected.
- Defining the criteria for temporary employees to convert to indeterminate employees.
- Defining a new standard of probation for Teachers and Education Assistants/Tutors.
- Giving more priority throughout the hiring process to Yukon First Nations teachers.
- Making amendments to the Education Labour Relations Act to enable substitutes to be included in the YTA bargaining unit.
Nigel Allan
Communications, Public Service Commission
867-667-8902
nigel.allan@gov.yk.ca
Sue Harding
President, Yukon Teachers’ Association
867-668-6777 ext. 3
pres@yta.yk.ca