WORTH KNOWING
 
Check Your Pay Statement!
The Mediator’s Recommended Terms of Settlement Has Increased Teachers’ Pay
 
The Mediator’s Recommended Terms of Settlement, ratified on June 10, 2022, included 0.5 per cent upon ratification and another 1.25 per cent on September 1, 2022. This compounds upon the 0.5 per cent received upon ratification. There will be another 2 per cent due to teachers on September 1, 2023.
 
A teacher’s annual salary is based on years of education (as determined by the Teacher Qualifications Service) and years of experience (as determined by the teacher’s collective agreement). Click here to see your updated salary grid.
 
Teachers are paid according to the Education Act, which states that teachers are paid 1/200 for each day they work (with a few variations). Since funds are allocated to school divisions over 12 months, paying teachers 1/12 of their annual salary each month from September to August is easier for everyone to budget, including school divisions.
 
Due to the improvements to the salary grid, teachers must review their September pay statements to be certain that their pay has been adjusted correctly. Teachers should continue to review their pay statements at the end of every month, particularly if they are still moving up the salary grid and are expecting to earn an increment. If a teacher reviews their pay statement and it appears that they have not been paid correctly, it is their responsibility to contact their employer to resolve the discrepancy. If the teacher is not able to correct the error with the employer forthwith, the teacher must contact Teacher Employment Services so that the Association can provide support in a resolution. Delays in reporting an error in pay could result in a loss of income, so it is critical that every teacher closely scrutinize their pay statement.
 
1)      For full-time contract teachers, the simplest way to check for an error is to multiply the amount listed on the pay statement as gross pay or total earnings by 12 and then compare that sum to the salary grid in the collective agreement.
 
2)      For part-time contract teachers, confirm annual salary on the grid in the collective agreement, multiply that sum by the teacher’s FTE (for example, 0.50 or 0.86 or 0.25) and divide by 12. This sum should be the gross pay or total earnings figure on the pay statement.
 
3)      For teachers in receipt of an allowance, the simplest way to check for an error is to multiply the amount listed on the pay statement as gross pay or total earnings by 12, subtract the annual allowance and compare that sum to the salary grid in the collective agreement.
 
It is also important to review the deductions to confirm they are correct. Maximum annual employee premiums for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and employment insurance (EI) are reached partway through the year. Teachers often see an increase in net pay once those maximums are reached and are no longer deducted from monthly cheques.
 
 
WORTH SHARING
Check your pay statement every month to ensure that your salary is correct. Review the deductions and make sure they are correct. Remember, you may reach maximum deductions for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and employment insurance (EI) partway through the year. #WEAREATA
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WORTH KNOWING                                                    
Effective September 1, 2022, Bill 85 amended the Education Act by adding 
Criminal record and vulnerable sector checks
 
The entirety of section 2 of Bill 85 was proclaimed into force by Order in Council 224/2022, effective September 1, 2022. Section 2(7) of Bill 85 amends the Education Act by adding section 229.1: Criminal record and vulnerable sector checks. Bill 85 applies to those whose employment requires a certificate of qualification as a teacher, a leadership certificate or a superintendent leadership certificate. 
 
Alberta teachers have long been required to provide criminal record and vulnerable sector checks to their school division upon hiring. However, this legislative change demands that the individual teacher now provide these documents every five years, and the board must be satisfied that the results of those checks demonstrate that the teacher continues to be suitable for employment in their position.
 
If you have not provided a criminal record and vulnerable sector check to your division in the last five years, you will be required to do so within 16 months of this new section coming into force. Some divisions, however, may require teachers to comply sooner than the 16-month legislative deadline of January 1, 2024. 
 
Teachers should not have to incur the cost of the five-year criminal record checks. The last round of central table negotiations achieved reimbursement of the cost by the division to teachers. This appears in the Mediator’s Recommended Terms of Settlement, ratified on June 10, 2022. However, teachers starting new employment are still responsible for the cost of the initial check.
 
If you have a criminal conviction (or charge, subject to the terms of your employment contract) and failed to report this to your division, you should seek the advice of Teacher Employment Services (1-800-232-7208). In this situation, most members would benefit from proactively addressing the issue with their division rather than waiting until their updated criminal record and vulnerable sector check is submitted.
 
Worth Sharing 
Legislative changes in Bill 85 now require that teachers provide an updated criminal record and vulnerable sector check to their division every five years after their initial submission. Divisions, however, must reimburse teachers for this cost. If you have questions or concerns regarding your current status, you should seek the advice of Teacher Employment Services (1‑800‑232‑7208). #WEAREATA