Secondary and Area School Groundstaff Collective Agreement

3.1.1 Groundstaff Employee means an employee of an Area, Secondary, or Form 1-7 School who predominantly performs work associated with the care, maintenance and upkeep of school grounds, including sports fields, gardens and other outdoor facilities. The work may be performed at more than one school. A groundstaff employee shall not include a caretaker or cleaner as defined in the current School Caretakers’ and Cleaners’ (including Canteen Workers) Collective Employment Agreement or an administrative employee responsible for maintenance and property administration as described in the current Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreement.

3.1.2 A Senior Groundskeeper is a groundstaff employee who is either:

1. in charge of one or more permanent groundstaff; or
2. a sole charge groundskeeper (see 3.1.3 below) who is appointed by the employer to be a Senior Groundskeeper as a result of either:
   1. being required and able to perform job-related maintenance work of a significant nature which he/she is legally able to undertake and which would normally be undertaken by a registered or qualified tradesperson; or
   2. being required and competent to perform duties to a high level of skill, expertise and responsibility.

3.1.3 A Groundskeeper is a sole charge groundstaff employee responsible for groundskeeping duties or an assistant groundskeeper so designated by the employer in recognition of his/her skills, performance and abilities.

3.1.4 An Assistant Groundskeeper is a groundstaff employee, working under a Senior Groundskeeper, who by reason of knowledge and experience, can be relied upon to carry out efficiently, various classes of groundskeeping duties requiring almost as much technical knowledge and skill as a groundskeeper.

3.1.5 A Ground’s Labourer is a groundstaff employee whose duties do not require any considerable degree of judgement, responsibility, knowledge or experience. Progression shall be at the discretion of the Board and subject to a requirement for, and ability to perform, the role of an Assistant Groundskeeper.

3.1.6 It is not the intention of the parties that any employee should be assigned a lower grade as a result of the coming into force of this agreement.

3.2.1 Minimum hourly pay rates for groundstaff are as follows:

3.2.2 A part-time employee is engaged for less than 40 hours per week and shall be paid 1/40 of the appropriate full-time weekly rate for each ordinary hour of employment.

3.2.3 Any groundstaff employee directed to perform work for which a higher rate is prescribed shall be paid the higher rate for the period of such work. Nothing shall prevent an employer from authorising payment of a special duties allowance to an employee directed in special circumstances, to carry out duties other than those for which he/she was employed.

3.3.1 A groundstaff employee who is solely responsible for the complete operation, chlorination and maintenance of school swimming pools shall be paid an allowance of $4.50 each day the pool is open either for official school use or, public use when the school is closed and the employee has agreed to undertake these additional duties.

3.3.2 An employee who holds a current first aid certificate and is a designated first aider at the school shall be paid an allowance of 35 cents per hour.

3.3.3 Where an employee completes nine and a half hours or more on any one day the board shall either provide a suitable meal or, in lieu thereof, pay a meal allowance of $10.00.

3.3.4 Where an employee is required by the employer to use his/her own vehicle for school business he/she shall be paid 59 cents per kilometre and shall be responsible for arranging the appropriate insurance. Where the use of the vehicle on the employer’s business necessitates altering the nature of the insurance, the employer shall refund any extra premium attributable to this usage.