Province and teachers cement new deal

B.C.’s 45,000 public school teachers have overwhelmingly accepted a new, three-year contract with the provincial government.

It includes a six per cent pay increase over the life of the deal — two per cent each year — plus a 1 per cent increase in 2020 to the top step of the teacher salary grid in each of the 60 school districts.

The new deal also includes wording setting out a mediation process to guide future negotiations.

The B.C. Teachers Federation says its members voted 98 per cent in favour of the deal that runs from July 1, 2019 to the end of June 2022.