Teachers Union: Job Description Being Finalized
The Bermuda Union of Teachers announced that the full Job Description for Paraeducators and Educational Therapist Assistants is now being finalized, calling it a “small step toward justice and fair-mindedness for a group that has laboured under unacceptable and tenuous conditions for decades.”
A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Union of Teachers is proud to announce that, after twenty plus years of struggle and negotiation, Paraeducators and Educational Therapist Assistants [ETAs] have seen a full Job Description [JD] finalized.
“This is a small step toward justice and fair-mindedness for a group that has laboured under unacceptable and tenuous conditions for decades on end now; front line workers who represent an absolutely indispensable cog in the Bermuda Public Education System.
“The fight for reasonable pay will continue, as this union is determined to have our Paraeducators and ETA’s recompensed at a rate that is fair and reflective of their considerable contribution to the daily functionality of each and every school in Bermuda.
“Our negotiations for a pay raise for this group have plodded on for some seventeen years now, and there is no reason for our employers to continue to question their value to our students, staff, and, ultimately, our entire society.
“With this in mind, we are reasonably optimistic that the repeatedly promised move to an increased pay band for Paras and ETAs will be reflected in Government’s 2020/2021 fiscal budget for Education in Bermuda.
“Finally, this Union will continue to seek the strong endorsement and advocacy of our Collective Bargaining Agreement terms of employment as it pertains to annual contracts for Bermudian Paraeducators and Educational Therapist Assistants.
“As always, the BUT will fight for what’s right for our members; ensuring that all stakeholders get the very best the Bermuda Public Education System can offer.
“If the Government sees fit to implement new requirements for employment, then compensation scales must be reflective of these new measures; this is logical, fair, and decent, which is the kind of treatment this union has always sought, demanded, and expected for our members.”
It took a Union and the Labour Government 20 years to negotiate a Job Description?
LOL, and we wonder why the country is spiraling the drain.
Why has this taken so long? How do you go forward if you have no directions.i suspect employees did what they wanted to do and just didn’t do what the didn’t want to do. And off we go again!!!