Teachers’ union to recommend new deal

IQALUIT — The Northern Quebec Teachers Association will ask its 300 members to approve an agreement-in-principle reached this week with the Kativik School Board.

The new labour agreement calls for an annual recruitment and retention bonus for professional and teaching staff of between $3,500 and $9,000, depending on employees’ length of service and place of employment.

“With a turnover of 64 per cent in the teaching staff every two years, there had to be some incentive to find new teachers and keep them in Nunavik,” said union president Marcel Duplessis.

All certified teachers will receive the bonus.

“A large part of our Inuit teachers are certified. Those who are in teacher training will receive it after three or five years, while those who are already certified will receive it immediately,” Duplessis said.

The new deal does not include trips out for locally hired staff.