N.W.T. gov't downbeat on 'monetary increases' for teachers
Teachers negotiating new contract seeking raises to keep up with inflation
The N.W.T. government says it can't raise some teachers' salaries for two years.
"The GNWT's fiscal reality is such that we are unable to provide any form of monetary increases in the first two years of the collective agreement," the government recently wrote in response to the N.W.T. Teachers' Association.
The association and the government just began negotiating a new agreement for 484 teachers, most of whom work outside of Yellowknife except for those at Ecole Allain St. Cyr.
"Should we be able to reach a collective agreement longer than two years, we are prepared to discuss very modest monetary increases," the government added.
The government is under a cash crunch, saying it needs to cut and/or save $150 million over the next five years.
What the union wants
The association is looking for salary upgrades to keep up with inflation, though the specific increases to salary schedules that it's seeking haven't been shared with the government at the negotiation table yet.
"A small raise would be nice," the association wrote in its opening proposal.
Gayla Meredith, the president of the teachers' association, declined to comment on the government's position on monetary increases.
Teachers also want their annual professional allowance to be upgraded to $1,500 from $1,000, as well as an additional $1,000 allowance for teachers who hold a master's degree in education.
The next round of collective bargaining is scheduled for the first week of June.