Friends,

We are providing this bulletin to assist you in understanding what you should be paid.

Article 40 of the collective agreement says that members will be paid based on their classification and years of service. 

A "classification" is Teacher – Letter of Permission, Independent School Certified or Certified Qualified, Bus Driver, Office Administration, or Special Education Assistant. Each classification has a separate wage rate. Employees must be paid based on their years of employment with Sikh Academy. Year of employment is calculated from your date of hire. Leaves such as medical (sick) leave, pregnancy or parental does not change your date of hire. At the end of this bulletin, you will find the relevant sections of the collective agreement.  

Bus Drivers, and Office Administration workers have two salary steps. A probationary rate of $22 an hour and a post-probationary rate of $24 an hour. The probationary rate is paid during the probationary period which is the first 90-days of employment. During probation, employees are to be paid $22 an hour. After successful completion of probation, employees must be paid $24 an hour.
  
Bus Drivers and Office Administration workers must be paid for each hour or portion they work. For example, if you are a bus driver who is required to fill up the bus, clean the bus or perform maintenance you must be paid your hourly rate for those hours in addition to the time you spend driving the bus. 
 
Special Education Assistants are to be paid $24 an hour from the start of their employment.
  
Letter of Permission, Independent School Certified, and Certified Qualified Teachers have a 10‑step salary grid starting at Step 0. Letter of Permission and Independent School Certified have one grid and, Certified Qualified have another. Each step on the grid has a corresponding salary rate. Placement on the salary grid is based on years of service at Sikh Academy. During their first year, teachers will be placed at Step 0 of the of the salary grid, their second year at Step 1 of the grid, their third year at Step 2 and so forth.

Step 0 First year of employment
Step 1 Second year of employment
Step 2 Third year of employment
Step 3 Fourth year of employment
Step 4 Fifth year of employment
Step 5 Sixth year of employment
Step 6 Seventh year of employment
Step 7 Eighth year of employment
Step 8 Ninth year of employment
Step 9 Tenth year of employment
Step 10 Eleventh year of employment

The incremental step increases shall be given until the maximum step – Step 10, on the salary scale has been reached.
 
Once you've determined your step placement, the corresponding wage listed under the column headed "Effective September 1, 2022" is what you should be paid. 
 
Example #1. You are a teacher who was hired September 1, 2022. That means you should have been placed at Step 0 of the salary grid applicable to your classification – Letter of Permission or Independent School Certified, or Certified Qualified. 
 
Example #2. You are a teacher who was hired January 1, 2022. That means you should have been placed at Step 0 for the period September 1 to December 31, 2022 and paid the corresponding salary and then moved up to Step 1 as of January 1, 2023 and paid the corresponding salary applicable to your classification – Letter of Permission or Independent School Certified, or Certified Qualified. 
 
Example #3. You are a teacher who was hired September 1, 2016. That means you should have been placed at Step 6 of the salary grid applicable to your classification – Letter of Permission or Independent School Certified, or Certified Qualified. 
 
Example #4. You are a teacher who was hired September 1, 2010. That means should be placed at Step 10 – the top of the scale, of the salary grid applicable to your classification – Letter of Permission or Independent School Certified, or Certified Qualified. 
 
Years of service for all employees is not tied to the school year. Rather, year of service is based on the employment start date with Sikh Academy. 
 
If you know a BCGEU member who didn't receive this bulletin, please forward it to them. If you are a BCGEU member who didn't receive the bulletin directly, please update your email address with your Union by logging into the Member Portal here.
 
In solidarity,
 
Lorena Henriquez-Zamorano, Bargaining Committee
Jagbir Kaur, Bargaining Committee
Tatiana Zamorano, Bargaining Committee
Zoe Towle, Spokesperson, Staff Rep Negotiations

 
Download PDF of notice here
Download PDF of notice in Punjabi here


 
THE EXCERPTS ON WAGES FROM THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT FOLLOW:

ARTICLE 40 - WAGES

Wages will be paid as established at Appendix A, Salary Grids, of this agreement. No Employee will suffer a reduction in salary during the 2022/2023 School Year because of implementation of this agreement. After the 2022/2023 School Year, teachers who are being paid at a rate that is inconsistent with their classification or years of service will revert to the proper classification and placement on the wage grid attached at Appendix A. 

40.1 Initial Placement on Salary Scale
The salary category of all Employees will be based on years of service with GNES.

40.2 Adjustment of Employees Salary Rates as of Ratification
Employees currently employed by Sikh Academy will have their wages adjusted pursuant to the relevant provision of this article.

40.3 Advancement on Salary Scale
Fulltime Employees shall advance one step on the scale upon completion of each full year of service. For clarity, they will advance on their anniversary date or hire. Part-Time Employees shall advance one step on the scale upon completion of the equivalent of one full year of service.

UWU/MoveUP