Yukon gov't, teachers' union agree on new contract

The Yukon government and the Yukon Association of Education Professionals say they've come to terms on a new collective agreement.

Educators are in line for a 14.15 per cent wage hike over three years. Substitute teachers will get an extra 10 per cent on top of the base increase, while education assistants will get an extra seven per cent.

The terms were suggested by a three-person conciliation board with equal representation from the government and the union. The board's recommendation was unanimous.

In a news release, the Yukon government said the deal is more expensive than it hoped for, but agreed to terms to ensure labour peace.

"The government of Yukon is willing to accept the recommended monetary terms as a final package for a renewed collective agreement," the release states. "Government has communicated to YAEP that its acceptance is conditional on a collective agreement being achieved without job action, which would unduly impact Yukon children and families."

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ted Hupé, the president of the Yukon Association of Education Professionals, said the deal is less than the union hoped for. YEAP originally sought a base increase of 24 per cent over three years.

But he said the new contract at least catches union members up to the rate of inflation.

"If you look back through history, a lot of our agreements have kept pace with inflation and the cost of living," Hupé said Thursday. "This agreement will do that."

The deal also doubles an allowance paid to rural teachers. Hupé said that's good, but he predicted the Yukon government will continue to struggle to recruit teachers, especially in rural communities.

"I think the the the biggest thing is housing and general cost of living to live in the rural communities," he said.

"Often food and gas is much higher than [in] Whitehorse. [The cost of] living in the Yukon communities is higher. So that's still an issue and hopefully the community allowances have addressed that."

Hupé said teachers will vote on whether to ratify the deal at a meeting in late January.

YEAP's most recent contract expired at the end of June. The union and government hit a deadlock in negotiations. The union opted to send the dispute to a conciliation board instead of agreeing to binding arbitration.