Bargaining wins
We asked BCTF Provincial Bargaining Team members to tell us about their favourite wins from the last round of bargaining. Here’s what they said the newly bargained language means for you.
Alexandra Adhikary
D.4 Preparation Time and LOU 18 Secondary Preparation Time Joint Committee
Throughout the process of provincial bargaining, one of the consistent topics I heard members talk about was prep time. The conversations I had with members were often about how an increase to prep time would help with the increasing workload that teachers are facing across the province. As a classroom teacher, prep time is something that I take very seriously. I have felt the overwhelming workload increase each year, and my prep time is the time when I feel like I can finally take a deep breath during my day.
…increase to preparation time of 10 additional minutes per week for elementary teachers starting July 1, 2027.
The most significant improvement in Article D.4 is the increase to preparation time of 10 additional minutes per week for elementary teachers starting July 1, 2027. This means each full-time elementary teacher will now receive 130 minutes of prep time per week. Another gain this round in relation to preparation time is that the employer will make reasonable efforts to schedule prep blocks no less than 30 minutes. This means that members who currently have their prep time scheduled in small amounts throughout the day can now ask to have it scheduled in blocks that are no shorter than 30 minutes.
Although we didn’t see any time increase to secondary prep time this round, we were able to negotiate into the collective agreement a Letter of Understanding (LOU) regarding a joint committee on secondary preparation time. This ensures that representatives from the BCTF, BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA), and the Ministry of Education and Child Care will meet to discuss potential changes to secondary prep time that will support the provincial parties in the next round of bargaining. This joint committee needs to commence by December 2026 and will be finished no later than December 2027. This joint committee is a chance for the Federation to meet with BCPSEA and the Ministry to really discuss the challenges our secondary members are facing and to work together to come up with strategies for approaching secondary prep time next round.
Trevor Takasaki
E.3 Violence Prevention in the Workplace
Too often, a violent incident, or even recurring incidents of violence, happens in a class. What happens next? The teacher may not know how to respond, what resources are available, or what protections they are entitled to through these resources and procedures.
…language ensures administrators provide information about violence prevention…
The new collective agreement language ensures administrators provide information about violence prevention in staff meetings and allows staff to ask questions where there is inaccurate information or more information is required.
By asking questions during staff meeting time, the administrators will be required to clarify their understanding on the violence prevention resources and procedures.
Joanne Hapke
LOU 16 First Nations Leave for External Employment
This has personal relevance to me and my district. I was aware of an early career teacher who wanted a leave that would allow them to work in a First Nations community and return to their job in an elementary school that had a high percentage of students with an Aboriginal background. They intended to use the knowledge that they would have gained in a First Nations community to enrich the work they did in the classroom. The school district denied their request, and they were forced to resign from their position. That teacher did not return to the district when that assignment was completed.
Allowing First Nations teachers to access a leave to work in their home territory in BC — and continue to gain seniority — is a big win.
I later found out that a First Nations social worker had made a request to access a leave to allow them to work in their home territory. The district denied this request too.
This new article highlights the BCTF’s commitment to truth and reconciliation. Allowing First Nations teachers to access a leave to work in their home territory in BC — and continue to gain seniority — is a big win.
The Provincial Bargaining Team was proud to be able to sign off on this language. The employer stated early on in negotiations that they were not interested in any new leaves, yet we were able to convince them that this leave was an important step in the truth and reconciliation process.
Carolyn Pena
B.1 Salary
Salary is often the item that members ask about first in bargaining, and as we have seen the cost-of-living increase significantly in the last few years, salary increases that keep pace with inflation are important. But the gains in salary beyond the general wage increase can also have important impacts on all members, beyond those who the various clauses apply to. All members benefit when we can help attract more teachers into public schools across the province. Improvements made for beginning teachers in Article B.1 Salary will encourage more members to accept contracts and provide a substantial benefit to those members through their early years in the profession.
Improvements made for beginning teachers in Article B.1 Salary will encourage more members to accept contracts and provide a substantial benefit to those members through their early years in the profession.
Specifically, B.1.6 and B.1.7, which took effect on July 1, 2026, build on the benefit introduced in the previous collective agreement (B.1.5) to place new employees who have less than two years of experience on the third step of the salary grid if they accept a term/temporary or continuing contract. Previously these employees were placed on the second step under B.1.5. When these employees gain a year of experience, they move up the salary grid from that starting place on the third step. These clauses apply to all employees accepting a contract, whether they were previously TTOCs in the district or not. This improvement builds on the work done in the previous round of bargaining and provides a significant boost on the salary grid to beginning teachers who accept contracts. As long as members remain with the district, that boost will continue until they reach the maximum step on the salary grid.
Members should be aware that if they move districts, their experience credit will be measured in a new district based on their years of exper-ience. This may mean that this initial boost does not carry over into a new district. Members considering moving districts should ask for clarity from a potential new district on where they would be placed on the salary grid. The local in the new district can also provide assistance in understanding how the local experience recognition language would apply.
Robin Tosczak
LOU 19 Adult Education
In this round of bargaining, we made progress on an issue that has stumped us at the table for many rounds. In many local collective agreements, adult educators are treated differently than other members and in some cases are specifically excluded from certain rights. They often have lower pay and job security rights, worse access to leaves, fewer working conditions protections (like class size and composition or access to specialist teachers), and less (or no) access to preparation time or professional development.
…$300,000 to addressing inequities in a specific list of topics, including pay, job security, preparation time, and access to professional development, for adult educators.
For decades, the BCTF has been fighting for equity for members working in adult education. Because there is such a wide variation in adult education programs and in local collective agreement language, we have been unsuccessful in convincing the employer to make improvements for these members until this round. In this agreement, while we weren’t able to lock down specific gains, we did get an agreement to commit $300,000 to addressing inequities in a specific list of topics, including pay, job security, preparation time, and access to professional development, for adult educators. We will meet with the employer to determine how to allocate these ongoing funds, with any changes being implemented by July 1, 2028. The terms of this agreement are found in LOU 19 of the 2025–2029 collective agreement.
Achieving this LOU is significant, even though it will take some time to come to agreement on the specific improvements and the amount of money likely won’t be enough to address all of the issues. This LOU process gives us a path forward and some financial resources to make some meaningful progress toward equity for adult educators, who provide invaluable services and support in the public education system.
Winona Waldron
B.11 Benefits and LOU 9 Provincial Extended Health Benefit Plan
When we talk about collective bargaining, salary and working conditions often dominate the conversation. While fair pay and reasonable working conditions are critical, improving our provincial extended health benefit plan is a direct investment in the sustainability of our workforce. Teaching has never been more demanding, and a comprehensive health plan ensures that teachers can take care of themselves and their families without facing compounding financial stress. It represents a vital shift toward recognizing that teacher wellness is foundational to student success.
…improving our provincial extended health benefit plan is a direct investment in the sustainability of our workforce.
The provincial extended health plan exists to fill the gaps that public health care doesn’t cover. The updates achieved in this round move the needle significantly by reducing out-of-pocket expenses and introducing critical equity-based coverage in three ways:
1. Premium Cost-Sharing and Provincial Equity (Article B.11)
Perhaps the most widespread financial relief comes from the new premium cost-sharing structure. Effective July 1, 2026, the employer shall pay 85% of the premium costs of the Extended Health Benefit and Dental Plans for 1.0 FTE employees.
Crucially, this change establishes a minimum provincial floor while strictly protecting any and all superior or additional local provisions. This means that in school districts where the employer already pays more than 85%, those superior provisions remain untouched and there will be no reduction in your benefits.
However, this change is a massive leap forward for provincial equity. For members currently working in districts where they have had to cover as much as 50% of their own premiums, this new provincial floor represents a huge improvement and a major financial relief.
Furthermore, our Provincial Bargaining Team protected our part-time colleagues through an explicit implementation note — where local provisions already align or connect part-time cost-sharing with full-time arrangements, premium cost-sharing for part-time employees will automatically scale up to follow this new 85% standard.
2. Historic Inclusion of Gender-Affirming Care (LOU 9)
In a major win for inclusivity and human rights, the agreement introduces comprehensive gender-affirming care.
July 1, 2026: Members will have access to equivalent benefits to those included in the PBC Core plus enhanced coverage up to a $30,000 Lifetime Maximum.
July 1, 2028: This support expands further, raising the threshold to a $50,000 Lifetime Maximum.
3. Paramedical, Mental Health, and Specialized Care Enhancements (LOU 9)
Recognizing the physical and psycho-logical toll of teaching, several key paramedical and health supports are seeing substantial boosts:
Counselling services: Access to mental health professionals—including psychologists, registered clinical counsellors, and registered social workers—will see an increase from $1,500 to $1,750, effective July 1, 2028.
Hearing aids: The coverage is improving from $3,500 per 48 months to $4,000 per 48 months.
Audiologists: To round out hearing health, audiologists have been officially added to the plan as an approved provider effective July 1, 2026.
Important caveat: Members should note that the above improvements to extended health benefits apply specifically to those locals that have voted to adopt the Provincial Extended Health Benefit Plan.
Sarah York
“The negotiated changes to LOU 12 in this collective agreement mark a historic achievement for members, as these are the first improvements to any of the provisions that were stripped from our collective agreement in 2002.”
LOU 12 Restoration of Class Size, Composition, Ratios, and Ancillary Language
The negotiated changes to LOU 12 in this collective agreement mark a historic achievement for members, as these are the first improvements to any of the provisions that were stripped from our collective agreement in 2002. Over the next three years, these changes will roll out across the province and will lead to hundreds of new specialist teachers to support students.
Under the changes to LOU 12, the ratio of counsellors to students will improve each year with 213 FTE counsellors added province-wide by 2028. There will be 33 added in 2026; 46 added in 2027; and 134 added in 2028. This new language will apply in 55 out of 60 districts by 2028. The ratios for learning assistance teachers and special education resource teachers will also improve in both 2026 and 2028. Districts typically fulfill these two ratios with a single position with various titles, including resource, learning support, learning services, or inclusion teachers. Any positions previously covered by these ratios will continue to be included but no additional roles can be included. Overall, 89 FTE positions will be created province-wide by 2028. There will be 25 added in 2026 and 64 added in 2028.
The addition of these ongoing specialized positions over the next three years will provide teachers and students with more support to allow all students to find success in classrooms. More members who are interested in doing this specialized work will be able to move into these positions, and classroom teachers will benefit from the additional support. Importantly, these improvements also provide a basis to continue to make improvements in future rounds of bargaining.
