Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – Educators, represented by the Yukon Association of Education Professionals (YAEP), have voted 95 percent in favour of taking job action in response to what they see as inadequate wage increase proposals from the Yukon Government.
A press release from the YAEP says the Yukon Government’s proposal of a 10.5 percent wage increase over three years is insufficient given a 16.5 percent rise in Yukon’s inflation rate over the same period.
The union says that educators experienced a 9.3 percent real wage loss, meaning their salary has not kept up with rising living costs, during their previous contract.
The union argues that more competitive wages will help fill the over 50 open teaching positions still vacant across the territory.
In a statement, Finance Minister Sandy Silver says the Government has offered wage and benefit increases totalling roughly 12 percent accross three years.
They add that the YAEP is asking for a 29 percent increase over three years if you account for wages and other monetary improvements which isn’t fiscally responsible.
“The package that Government of Yukon proposed accounts for the current fiscal situation impacting many Canadians, is consistent with the agreements reached in other jurisdictions and would maintain Yukon teachers as amongst the highest paid in the country,” reads the statement.
YAEP and the Yukon Government are not scheduled to meet again until December 2024, and negotiations remain at a standstill, with YAEP requesting that the Yukon Teachers Labour Relations Board declare a deadlock.
The process will continue under concilliation or arbitration and no legal strike action can be taken until those steps are completed.
