Border Land teachers out to lunch

Posted By Greg Vandermeulen

Posted 17 days ago

Teachers in Border Land School Division will now have their noon hours to themselves, after their new collective agreement removes lunch hour responsibilities.

Superintendent Tim Mendel said having lunch hours free has been a part of contract negotiations for many years.

"It's always been taken off," he said.

Border Land School Division is one of the last ones to grant their teachers this right, making it tough to say no according to Mendel.

That's because if it would go to arbitration, teachers would likely win because of the precedent that has been set provincially.

Mendel confirmed they will be talking with education assistants to see if they would like to take on those hours. The remainder will be filled by members of the public. This decision is expected to cost school division between $75,000 and $100,000.

Mendel said it would have been his preference for the division to maintain the status quo, but said they will move on. "It is what it is," he said.

However, he did understand where the teachers were coming from with their request. "There's something to being able to sit down and have your lunch," he said.

Teachers in Border Land School Division start at around $47,000 annually and after 10 years generally find themselves in the $72,000 to $78,000 range.