Secretary-Treasurer s Office Committee IV: September 7, 2018 Carrie Bercic Fraser Ballantyne Janet Fraser Estrellita Gonzalez Judy Zaichkowsky

Transcription

1 NOTICE OF MEETING Vancouver School Board Secretary-Treasurer s Office Committee IV: September 7, 2018 Carrie Bercic Fraser Ballantyne Janet Fraser Estrellita Gonzalez Judy Zaichkowsky Suzanne Hoffman, Superintendent of Schools J. David Green, Secretary Treasurer Notice of Meeting A Meeting of the Personnel and Staff Services Committee (Committee IV) will be held in Committee Room # 180 of the Education Centre, 1580 West Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia, on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 at 7:00 pm Trustees: Joy Alexander Allan Wong Lisa Dominato Student Trustee: Hazel Pangilinan District Management Carmen Batista Lisa Landry Staff: Aaron Davis Jody Langlois Pedro da Silva Patricia MacNeil Mette Hamaguchi Jim Meschino Magdalena Kassis David Nelson Michele Kelly Rob Schindel Adrian Keough Shehzad Somji Brian Kuhn Richard Zerbe Reps: Katharine Shipley, VSTA Alt. Nancy Palejko Joanne Sutherland, VESTA Allison Jambor, VESTA Paul Godfrey, VASSA Celeste Pante, VASSA Jonathan Weresch, VEPVPA Harjinder Sandhu, VEPVPA Karen E. Blake, PASA Vicki Swan, PASA Erin Arnold, DPAC May Ke or Anne Montgomery, DPAC Tim DeVivo, IUOE Tim Chester, IUOE Thomas Leung, CUPE 15 Perveen Engineer, CUPE 15 Stephen Kelly, Trades Raymond Szczecinski, Trades Brent Boyd, CUPE 407 Others: Secretary-Treasurer s Office Ed. Centre Engineers District Parents Rentals Chris Allen Communications Lynda Bonvillain Kathie Currie, CUPE 15 Karen Redkwich

2 VANCOUVER BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING COMMITTEE IV PERSONNEL & STAFF SERVICES Wednesday, September 12, :00 p.m. Room 180, VSB Education Centre A G E N D A The meeting is being held on the traditional unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Coast Salish peoples. Reports for Trustees Information Presenters 1. Living Wage Proposal Update D. Green, Secretary Treasurer Staffing Update C. Batista, Associate Superintendent Information Item Requests Date and Time of Next Meeting Wednesday, October 10, 2018 in Room 180 at 6:00 p.m.

3 Date: September 7, 2018 To: Committee IV From: J. David Green, Secretary-Treasurer Re: Living Wage Proposal Update ITEM 1 REFERENCE TO STRATEGIC PLAN: Goal 3: Create a culture of care and shared social responsibility Objective: Encourage and enhance practices that support cultural, emotional, physical and mental well-being INTRODUCTION: This report is provided for information. BACKGROUND: There have been recent requests from trustees for an update on the previous work done on a living wage proposal. These requests support a request that was made at the January 4, 2017 meeting of Committee I, under Agenda Item Requests, where a request was made for a living wage proposal to come to a future committee meeting. Previous to 2017, the Board passed a motion in October 2015 and received a report in February 2016 related to the district becoming a Living Wage Employer. The 2015 motion was: that the Board initiate the process that would work towards an application to become a Living Wage Employer. This recommendation came from a report presented at the October 7, 2015 meeting of Committee IV (attached for reference). The 2016 Board receipt of a report (attached for reference) from the January 29, 2016 Committee IV addressing the 2015 motion was provided for information and no action resulted from it. ANALYSIS: The January 2016 Committee IV report identified a significant challenge to raising rates of pay for employees being that the Public Sector Employers Council has authority to approve increase in wages. The district does not have that authority. The other conclusion was that the district would need to review its external contracting processes to establish requirements for a living wage 1

4 clause to be included in contracts with companies and organizations the district has business relationships with. At the time of the 2016 report the metro Vancouver living wage (including benefits) was $20.68 per hour. It is now $20.91 (April 2018). More information will be presented to Committee IV at the September 12, 2018 meeting, including those district employees who may still not being paid a living wage. RECOMMENDATION: This report is provided for information. 2

5 January 29, 2016 ATTACHMENT 1 ITEM 2 TO: COMMITTEE IV Personnel and Staff Services Committee FROM: Janet Stewart, Associate Superintendent Employee Services RE: Living Wage Employer INTRODUCTION At the October 7, 2015 Committee IV meeting, staff were given direction to initiate the process toward applying to be a Living Wage Employer. This memo outlines the progress that has been achieved towards that goal. This report is provided for information. BACKGROUND The Living Wage for Families Campaign is a Vancouver-based organization that certifies qualifying employers as official Living Wage Employers through a multi-step application process. A living wage, as defined in the document A Guide to Becoming a Living Wage Employer ( is the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their family s basic expenses within the community. It is calculated on an annual basis to ensure that it accurately reflects changing living expenses. The Metro Vancouver living wage rate is currently calculated at $20.68 per hour.

6 PROGRESS TO DATE To better understand the process required to become a certified Living Wage Employer, staff met with Deanna Ogle, Campaign Organizer of the Living Wage Campaign. Also, as part of the initial research, staff analyzed the district s workforce to identify which positions do not meet the Living Wage rate as defined by the campaign. This was done to ensure that, if the district did chose to apply to be certified, it would be fully aware of the challenges related to: impacted stakeholder groups, potential timing impacts, resources required for successful implementation and implications of whether it would be able to comply. Details of staff s discoveries from this research are outlined below. CERTIFICATION PROCESS After meeting with Deanna Ogle, Campaign Organizer of the Living Wage Campaign in November 2015, staff created the following table to better understand the steps required to become certified as a Living Wage (LW) Employer. Steps Action What does this mean? Step 1 Step 2a Step 2b Declare intent to become a LW Employer Create/Develop an Implementation Plan (Stage 1) Submit Application Step 3 Direct staff changes (stage 2) Step 4 Step 5 Direct procurement/service contracts (Stage 3) Receive certification as a LW Employer Make a public declaration of intent to become a LW Employer Work with the Employer Committee to develop an Implementation Plan Write and submit an Application that includes the Implementation Plan Start making the compensation changes to meet the LW rate for staff Start ensuring that contracts meet the LW rate for contractor We are fully meeting all the requirements to become a Certified LW Employer Publicly will be known as: Living Wage Advocate Living Wage Advocate Living Wage Advocate Living Wage Champion Living Wage Champion Certified Living Wage Employer It is important to note that the VSB is not yet considered at Stage 1 as it has not explicitly and publicly declared its intent to become a Living Wage Employer. 2

7 From our conversations with the Living Wage Campaign staff we have also learned: Once an employer submits an application to be certified, the general time frame is approximately two years to complete the process There is no expectation from the Living Wage Campaign that organizations would renegotiate existing contracts with vendors Rectifying current wage rates that are below the Living Wage rate will by nature create situations of compression Internal communication is key to mitigate employee concerns related to the transition and compression. The Purchasing Department tends to have a more difficult time implementing Living Wage requirements due to the deadlines for negotiating contracts. Because of the complexities of this area, an extra 1.0 FTE staff may be required in the Purchasing Department to review contracts and set up new structures (this work is heavier in Stage 1, and then tapers off in Stage 3) WORKFORCE ANALYSIS To understand the challenges related to transitioning, staff analyzed VSB current positions to determine how many are not earning the defined living wage rate. As required, the analysis included the total compensation package; the base pay rate and a variety of non-base salary considerations, such as: Extended health MSP coverage Non-mandatory paid leave, such as sick leave, gratuity, supplementary vacation, etc. Transportation subsidy Clothing and footwear allowance Pension plan We have determined that there appear to be 15 job titles for which the entry-level pay rate results in a total compensation below the living wage rate. For each of these job titles, there are pay rates of increasing values that reflect an increase in skills, experience or length of service. For example, the Bricklayer Apprentice position has eight rates spanning $17.96/hour to $31.02/hour. Only the first rate, of $17.96/hour, provides a total compensation lower than the living wage rate. The job titles of those positions are list below: AE Instructor Assistant On-Call AE Instructor Assistants Bricklayer Apprentice Carpenter Apprentice Casual Labourer Cement Mason Apprentice Community School Program Leader Community School Programmer Electrician Apprentice Heat and Frost Apprentice 3

8 Of the 15 job titles, there are currently 187 employees (predominantly employed on a casual basis) who are paid a rate providing a total compensation that is below the defined living wage rate. POTENTIAL CHALLENGES TO RAISING RATES OF PAY As was reported in the October 2, 2015 report provided to this Committee, as a public sector employer, we are subject to the provisions of the Public Sector Employers Act. This means that any increases to salary structures must be approved by the Public Sector Employers Council (PSEC) and we do not have the ability to raise pay rates without PSEC s approval. Therefore, if PSEC does not support our need to increase pay rates in order to be certified as a Living Wage Employer, we may find it challenging to receive certification. CONCLUSION As requested at October 7, 2015 Committee IV meeting, staff have started the process toward applying for certification to be a Living Wage Employer. This process has deepened our understanding of the stages involved in the process, what our workforce looks like in comparison to the Living Wage Campaign s requirements, and what our challenges may be through this process. The next phase of the research should include a comprehensive discussion with the purchasing department to fully ascertain what requirements would be needed of external contracts to meet the requirements of the Living Wage Campaign. This report is provided for information. 4

9 ATTACHMENT 2 October 2, 2015 TO: FROM: Personnel and Staff Services Committee (Committee IV) Janet Stewart, Associate Superintendent, Employee Services RE: Living Wage INTRODUCTION: This report is in response to the referral to the Personnel and Staff Services Committee (Committee IV) that was made at the September 28, 2015 Board Meeting: That the VSB instruct staff to prepare a report for the fall outlining the implications of the Vancouver School Board becoming a Certified Living Wage Employer. BACKGROUND: The Living Wage for Families Campaign is a Vancouver-based organization that certifies qualifying employers as official Living Wage Employers through a multi-step application process. A number of Metro-based employers are in the process of becoming certified or have completed certification through this process, including the City of Vancouver, Vancouver City Savings Credit Union and the City of New Westminster. A living wage, as defined in the document A guide to Becoming a Living Wage Employer ( is the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their family s basic expenses within the community. It is calculated on an annual basis to ensure that it accurately reflects changing living expenses. This rate in Vancouver is currently set at $20.68 per hour in the Lower Mainland area. The Board of School Trustees recently requested that staff explore the implications for the district if the district was to apply for certification through this process.

10 BECOMING A LIVING WAGE EMPLOYER: There are a number of conditions that must be met to become a Living Wage Employer. First, employers must agree to ensure that all direct employees (full time, part time and casual) are paid the current living wage rate for their area within six months of a successful application. Employers must also agree to insert a living wage clause (stipulating that contracted workers and subcontracted workers are to be paid a living wage) in all future contracts where staff who are not direct employees are contracted to provide services to their organization. A final condition related to incentive-based pay (tips) and commission-paid employees does not apply to the district as we do not have such pay structures in our organization. In order to become a Living Wage Employer, employers must submit their application to the Living Wage for Families Campaign (at no cost) along with a draft plan that complies with the Living Wage Employer program criteria. If the draft plan meets the program criteria as determined by the Living Wage Employer Recognition Subcommittee, the employer is certified as a Living Wage Employer. IMPLICATIONS OF BECOMING A LIVING WAGE EMPLOYER: To explore the possibility of the Vancouver School Board becoming a Certified Living Wage Employer, we completed an analysis of the salaries of our direct employees. This analysis shows that the majority of our employees currently make the current living wage rate. The few employees who do not meet this living wage rate are those, such as student workers, who may not be included within the scope of the certification process. More research on this matter with the Living Wage Employer Campaign would be required before we could confirm this fact. In terms of implications for the district, it is important to note that as a public sector employer, we are subject to the provisions of the Public Sector Employers Act and any increases to salary structures must be approved by the Public Sector Employers Council (PSEC). As a result, if the living wage increased at a greater rate than PSEC allowed, the district might find itself unable to comply with the Living Wage Employer conditions. There may be financial implications for the district regarding the Living Wage Employer requirement to insert a living wage clause (stipulating that contracted workers and subcontracted workers are to be paid a living wage) in all future contracts where staff who are not direct employees are contracted to provide services to their organization. The purchasing department has confirmed that the district currently has hundreds of contracts for services in areas that include construction, vehicle repair, elevator maintenance, paper shredding, fire protection, phone/copier system repairs and more. It is possible that including a living wage clause (stipulating that contracted workers and subcontracted workers are to be paid a living

11 wage) in all future contracts may have a financial impact on the district. However, without further research, it is difficult to confirm this assumption. CONCLUSION: The purpose of this report was to provide an initial analysis of the implications of the district becoming a certified Living Wage Employer. Initial investigation has identified that most of the district s employees currently make an hourly rate that is greater than the current living wage rate for the Metro Vancouver area, thus complying with the wage plan criteria of the Living Wage for Families Campaign. The initial investigation identified a few potential implications if the Board decides to apply for certification. This report is provided for information.

12 Date: September 12, 2018 ITEM #2 To: From: Re: Committee IV Personnel and Staff Services Carmen Batista, Associate Superintendent Staffing Update REFERENCE TO STRATEGIC PLAN: Goal 4: Objectives: Provide effective leadership, governance, stewardship. Effectively utilize school district resources. Overview: The past year has seen an unprecedented amount of hiring. Over 910 new employees in a variety of roles were hired between July 2017 and July In August 2018 the District had 86 teaching jobs posted (vacancies). This is down from over 280 vacancies in August of This opening week of September we had 56 teacher postings compared to 113 in September With the school year just underway Employee Services continues to work with school administrators in determining enrolment numbers, adjusting class organizations and course offerings to meet student needs, and in filling any outstanding vacancies. Up to the date staffing numbers will be provided at the September 12 th Committee IV meeting.