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Repeated delays in reaching a collective agreement between teachers and trustees of Grande Prairie Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 28 are leaving teachers increasingly angry and frustrated, according to Paul Sevigny, chair of the teachers’ economic policy committee.
Commenting on the growing concerns of teachers, Sevigny said that, in Alberta at the present time, 61 out of 62 school boards have reached collective agreements with their teachers for the 2006/07 school year. "The only holdout in the province is the Grande Prairie Catholic school board," Sevigny said.
According to Sevigny, bargaining for a new collective agreement began more than 12 months ago. He said that Grande Prairie Catholic teachers had provided professional services throughout this school year even though the trustees had failed to reach a settlement with their teachers.
Sevigny said he is at a loss to explain the behaviour of the trustees. "There is ample evidence, both across the province and in neighbouring jurisdictions, as to what an appropriate settlement should be for the year in question. Our asking position falls well within the range of settlements achieved to date."
Trustees continue to insist that the agreement be for a two-year term, Sevigny said. "What trustees are offering falls short of economic conditions in Alberta generally and is even less applicable within the Grande Prairie region." He said that the jurisdiction already has in its accounts adequate funding to provide its teachers with a fair and comparable settlement for 2006/07.
Grande Prairie Catholic teachers provide educational services to students in schools located in Beaverlodge, Fairview, Grande Prairie, Sexsmith and Spirit River.
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