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Langley schools maintenance workers strike contract deal

Tentative agreement still has to be ratified by union members, school board
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Langley School District’s board office. (Langley Advance Times files)

The union that handles custodial and maintenance work in Langley schools has reached a tentative contract agreement.

CUPE local 1851 announced that the IT, custodial, and maintenance workers (often called the “outside” workers) reached a deal on June 26 after seven bargaining sessions with their employer.

“Our team started preparing at the beginning of the year and kept focused and on task throughout bargaining,” said CUPE 1851 vice-president Carey Schafer. “As well, the employer was willing to listen and work with us.”

He said bargaining went well overall.

The current contract expires on June 30 this year. If ratified by the CUPE 1851 members and the school board, the new contract will run from July 1 to June 30, 2022.

Details of the deal won’t be released until after both sides agree to the final deal, expected sometime in early July.

There are about 220 CUPE 1851 members, including custodians, carpenters and electricians, mechanics, plumbers, roofers, groundskeepers, and the computer IT workers.

Another CUPE local represents school secretaries and other non-teaching unionized staff in schools and at the board offices.