The Upper Grand District School Board has ratified tentative agreements reached with four of its bargaining groups.

The contracts ratified with CUPE Local 256, Office Clerical and Technical (OCT), Educational Assistants and Special Program Assistants (EA/SPA), and Professional Student Services Personnel (PSSP) cover the period from September 1, 2008 to August 31, 2012. They comply with the Provincial Discussion Table (PDT) agreements reached between the provincial unions and government earlier this year.

The settlements include salary increases of three per cent in each of the four years of the contracts, with additional funding enhancements in the areas of professional development, benefits, and staffing over the life of the contracts. School boards and their unions across the province were required to reach local settlements by the government deadline of November 30 in order to obtain the salary and funding enhancements.

Three of the unions have also ratified the contracts with the EA/SPA group holding its ratification vote today, November 27.

Details of the EA/SPA agreement will not be released until the contract is ratified by the union.

The board said each of the agreements includes locally negotiated issues pertaining to each bargaining group.