The Burnaby School District must retroactively pay new teachers who started their career anytime after July 1, 2022.
The head of the school board says the arbitrator’s ruling could cost the district $9.4 million, more than double the $4.2 million in cuts that were made for the 2025-26 budget year.
“No one expected to be in this position. This has shaken the school district and has the potential to devastate delivery of education across Burnaby Schools,” says Burnaby Board of Education Chair, Kristin Schnider.
The Burnaby School Board believes that the costs should have been fully funded at the time of the 2022 collective agreement that the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) had accurately interpreted the collective agreement and given the District the correct direction.
“We’re not asking for a bailout,” said Schnider. “This follows provincial bargaining framework and we’re asking the government to uphold their end.”
Currently, there is no guaranteed provincial commitment for any funding.
The Board has asked the Ministry to submit a request within government for full funding of the $9.4 million.
“We know the province has its own fiscal challenges, but that does not negate provincial responsibility,” said Schnider. “We don’t want the impact of this to be felt by local Burnaby children in the classroom.”
The ruling affects more than 800 teachers who who were in their first year of teaching in the district, and found they should have been paid at least one step higher in the pay grade than they were.
Boards of Education are legally required to pass a balanced budget.