Why Work with the Public Schools Branch of PEI

The Public Schools Branch nurtures a welcoming and inclusive culture of people committed to working together to inspire students to reach goals and achieve academic success.  To ensure PSB’s continued success as a leader in education, we are committed to finding and developing the right people to join our team.  Every employee of the Public Schools Branch has an impact on the success of a child’s education.  You can make a difference!  

The Public Schools Branch works collaboratively with the Unions that represent over 4,000 employees of the Public Schools Branch.  These employees are members of the following Unions and have the rights and benefits of their respective Collective Agreement/Memorandum of Agreement:  

  • CUPE 1145, 1770 and 1775
    • Local 1145 includes Bus Drivers, Bus Aides and Bus Coaches
    • Local 1770 includes Administrative Support employees such as School Administrative Assistants, Branch Based Administrative Support, Payroll, Finance, Accounts, Receptionist, and IT. 
    • Local 1775 includes Cleaners, Custodians, Utility Workers and Trades workers; 
  • CUPE 3260
    • Local 3260 includes Educational Assistants, Workplace Assistants, Student Attendants, Youth Service Workers, Educational Language Interpreter Workers, and School Mental Health Support Workers. 
  • UPSE 
    • Includes Speech Language Pathologists 
  • PEI Teachers Federation
    • Includes Principals, Vice Principals, Teachers, Consultants, School Counselors and School Psychologists are represented under the PEITF Collective Agreement 

Benefits of Employment:

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is designed to help employees experiencing personal issues, which may affect job performance. The EAP helps employees solve problems as early as possible before seriously affecting self, family, and work performance. There is no cost to employees or their immediate family members.

Free available parking at all work sites.

This is a mandatory participation for permanent CUPE, UPSE, and PEITF employees, as well as Fixed Term Contract Teachers with PEITF.

The CUPE, UPSE, and Excluded Employees’ pension plan is called The Public Sector Pension Plan (PSPP).

The PEITF pension plan is called the Teachers Pension Plan (TPP).

Both are Defined Benefit Pension Plans that provide you with a lifetime of monthly payments upon retirement. The PSPP and TPP use a formula to determine how much pension you will receive when you retire.

The following components are used to calculate your PSPP/TPP benefit:

  • CUPE, UPSE and Excluded: career average salary at date of termination;
  • Teachers: average salary at date of termination;
  • Your total pensionable service at date of termination; and
  • The rate at which your pension grows (i.e. accrual rate) with each year of service.

The Employer matches the employee contributions to their pension plan. More information about the PEI Public Sector Pension Plan (PSPP) and the Teachers’ Pension Plan (TPP) can be found at the following link: www.peipspp.ca/ or www.peitpp.ca

(CUPE Permanent, PEITF Contract/Permanent and UPSE Permanent or Contract after stated period of employment)

The Employer will pay 50% of the applicable premiums for Group Life, Medical and Dental Insurance and Long-Term Disability Plans (Teachers LTD/Salary Continuation benefit is not cost shared) as per the respective Collective Agreements.

There is an Employer Liability Policy that protects each Employee from liability for acts of negligence arising out of the Employee’s actions while on duty for the Employer.

More information on these benefit plans can be found at the following links:

Twelve-month employees will accrue vacation leave that starts at 3 weeks’ vacation entitlement per year and at various thresholds of years of service will increase to a maximum of 6 weeks of vacation entitlement. Prorated for Part Time.

Ten-month employees have the same entitlement, but it is received as vacation pay, not vacation leave. The vacation pay is added to their hourly wage that reflects the applicable rate based on the years of service as a percentage.

Accrued every pay, up to a maximum of 15 days per year. A sick bank can accrue up to a maximum of 200 or 210 days (as per the relevant Collective Agreement/MOA).
The following are examples of Special/General Leave that may be applicable depending on the respective Collective Agreement/MOA:
  • Court Appearances;
  • Bereavement leave for specific number of days based on which particular family member;
  • Mourner/pallbearer/official capacity;
  • Family Illness days to provide for the medical needs of a member of the employee’s immediate family (number of days varies per collective agreement);
  • Family Medical Appointment days to provide transportation for hospital, medical and dental appointments (number of days varies per collective agreement);
  • Fire or Flood for serious fire or flood in an employee’s household (CUPE, UPSE);
  • Other Leave – (donating blood, plasma or other products at a blood donor’s clinic, health laboratory or plasma collection centre) CUPE,UPSE;
  • Special Leave 20:03 days (PEITF)
Leave of Absence without pay for a period up to 52 consecutive weeks for the birth or adoption of a child. Top up for up to 15 – 17 weeks for 80- 85% of salary to eligible employees.
CUPE, UPSE and Excluded have funding that employees can apply for personal professional development or job-related training. These amounts vary based on the relevant Collective Agreement.
Some employee groups are provided First Aid/CPR, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention and WHMIS training. There are designated days throughout the School Calendar that are professional development (PD) days and planned PD would be provided on those dates pertaining to that employee group.
A lump sum payment given at the time of severance or retirement based on years of service and maximum allowable service years calculated at the hourly rate in effect at the time of severance/retirement. The maximum payment varies depending on the Collective Agreement/MOA but could be approximately the equivalent of ½ year salary.
The following is the list of designated holidays:
  • New Year’s Day
  • Islander Day
  • Good Friday
  • Easter Monday
  • Victoria Day
  • Canada Day (not applicable to ten-month employees)
  • Floating Holiday
  • Labour Day
  • National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Remembrance Day
  • Christmas Eve (varies per collective agreement)
  • Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day

CUPE 1775 (Property Services)- Based on receipts submitted reimbursements of $250 per fiscal year towards the cost of work clothing and CSA approved footwear for employees in this Local that require them.

CUPE 1145 Bus Driver B, if required in performing B driver duties.