This message was distributed to all employees of the BC Public Service Agency, including those who are BCGEU members.

Every year on April 28, we recognize the National Day of Mourning to remember those who have been injured, become ill or have tragically died in workplace incidents. Not only is this day an important opportunity to honour these individuals, it's also a means of reinforcing the commitment to creating safer workplaces for all BC Public Service employees and all people in British Columbia.

In B.C., Day of Mourning ceremonies are hosted in various locations throughout the province. All employees are welcome and encouraged to join the Day of Mourning ceremony in their local area, some of which are listed on dayofmourning.bc.ca, or the virtual ceremony at 10:30 am. Alternatively, you may wish to pause for a moment of silence at 11:00 am on Sunday, April 28. The flags at the Legislature are being flown at half mast on April 28 in commemoration.

Everyone in B.C., including employers, workers, individuals, labour organizations and WorkSafeBC, has a part to play in workplace health and safety. For the BC Public Service, the Where Ideas Work 2023 Corporate HR Plan (PDF, 1286KB) outlines our commitment to "maintaining and enhancing measures to ensure ministries and supervisors can lead workplaces that operate safely, effectively support workforce well-being and build workplace psychological health and safety."

We know that most workplace incidents are preventable. It is our shared responsibility to take action to prevent injury, illness and fatalities in the workplace by identifying unsafe practices, reporting workplace hazards and looking out for yourself and others when anything feels unsafe. You can learn more about workplace safety on MyHR and at ohs.bcgeu.ca. If you need advice on how to address a potentially unsafe work situation, start by speaking with your supervisor. Further resources are available by contacting AskMyHR and your BCGEU Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) member representative or union staff representative at [email protected].

We would like to thank worker and employer members of Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees across the Public Service. Your work to collaboratively address workplace health and safety issues, stay informed on workplace health and safety matters, and communicate with all staff about safety are invaluable. The BCGEU and BC Public Service have been jointly presenting Health and Safety Courses for almost 30 years to all staff in the Public Service and we encourage anyone interested in the training to speak with their supervisor.

As you pause to remember the employees and their loved ones impacted by workplace incidents, please reflect on what actions you can take to prevent injury, illness and death from occurring in your workplace, regardless of your role. We must all work together to build and foster a workplace culture of healthy and safe practices.

We recognize that, particularly for those closest to colleagues and loves ones who have died or been injured at work, this opportunity to honour them can bring up significant emotions. Please remember the Employee and Family Assistance Services are available to you 24/7 should you need support.

Take care,

Shannon Salter
Deputy Minister to the Premier,
Cabinet Secretary and Head of the BC Public Service

and

Stephanie Smith
President, BC General Employees' Union

UWU/MoveUP

BCGEU HEADQUARTERS OFFICE
INTERNAL POSTING
April 24, 2024

POSITION: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT – ADVOCACY

GRADE: LEVEL 3 - MoveUP AGREEMENT

WAGE RATE: $35.72 - $38.51 per hour

An Administrative Assistant is required to perform administrative and word processing functions for staff representatives as required in the Advocacy department, located in Burnaby, BC.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Will include processing a variety of documents including reports, memoranda, forms, leaves of absence, meeting notices, legal documents compiling books of authorities and exhibits under the direction of servicing reps; inputting all files into a grievance database and updating hearing/arbitration reports; compiling quarterly statistical Advocacy reports for PE meetings; processing invoices from outside professionals; maintaining daily bring forward system; maintaining files, logbooks, statistics and records; answering general enquiries; receiving and distributing mail; typing documents including correspondence and agreements from handwritten or draft; drafting replies to general correspondence; signing routine correspondence; making appointments and travel arrangements; taking minutes of meetings; proofreading and correcting documents; operating office and mail centre equipment including photocopiers; updating and maintaining database information and producing reports; maintaining BCGEU website and calendars; responding to general enquiries and complaints; other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Applicants must have 2-4 years' administrative experience; high school graduation supplemented by administrative training; excellent keyboarding (40 - 50 wpm); excellent Microsoft Word and Excel skills; excellent communication, spelling and grammatical skills; an aptitude for organization and detail; good telephone manner; the ability to set priorities and work within time limits; database and arbitration preparation experience an asset.

Hours of work are 32 per week, four days.

General aptitude tests will be administered to all applicants. Keyboarding tests will be administered to regular/temporary employees who are not presently working in or have not previously worked in an administrative position.

The BCGEU supports employment equity. Indigenous workers, workers of colour, women, LGBTQ2SI+ workers, and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply for positions with the BCGEU.

Apply in writing with resume to Jennifer Ferguson, Human Resources Administrator, Headquarters, by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Resumes will be accepted by e-mail to: [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

BCGEU HEADQUARTERS OFFICE
INTERNAL POSTING
April 24, 2024

POSITION: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT – ORGANIZING

GRADE: LEVEL 3 - MoveUP AGREEMENT

WAGE RATE: $35.72 - $38.51 per hour

An Administrative Assistant is required to perform administrative and word processing functions for staff representatives as required in the Organizing department, located in Burnaby, BC.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Will include processing a variety of documents such as LRB submissions, minutes, meeting notices, reports, memoranda, forms, schedules, questionnaires, leaves of absence and general correspondence; setting up and maintaining departmental filing systems; maintaining a daily bring forward system; preparing and coding purchase orders; preparing cheque requisitions for signature; maintaining files, logbooks, statistics and records; answering general enquiries; receiving and distributing mail; typing documents including correspondence and agreements from handwritten or draft; drafting replies to general correspondence; signing routine correspondence; making appointments and travel arrangements; taking minutes of meetings; proofreading and correcting documents; operating office and mail centre equipment including photocopiers; updating and maintaining database information and producing reports; maintaining BCGEU website and calendars; responding to general enquiries and complaints; other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Applicants must have 2-4 years' administrative experience; high school graduation supplemented by administrative training; excellent keyboarding (40 - 50 wpm); excellent Microsoft Word and Excel skills; excellent communication, spelling and grammatical skills; an aptitude for organization and detail; good telephone manner; the ability to set priorities and work within time limits.

Hours of work are 32 per week, four days.

General aptitude tests will be administered to all applicants. Keyboarding tests will be administered to regular/temporary employees who are not presently working in or have not previously worked in an administrative position.

The BCGEU supports employment equity. Indigenous workers, workers of colour, women, LGBTQ2SI+ workers, and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply for positions with the BCGEU.

Apply in writing with resume to Jennifer Ferguson, Human Resources Administrator, Headquarters, by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Resumes will be accepted by e-mail to: [email protected]


UWU/MoveUP

ASSISTANT COORDINATOR (SR4)
ADVOCACY DEPARTMENT 

INTERNAL POSTING
April 22, 2024

The B.C. General Employees' Union requires an experienced lawyer, trade unionist or lay-person to fill the vacancy of Assistant Coordinator in the Advocacy department. Effective date to be determined.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Assistant Coordinator will function as a member of the senior staff team of the Union, responsible for implementing policies of the Union and overseeing various aspects of the Union's operation. This position will be required to have a caseload; however, the caseload will be reduced in order to perform the additional following duties:

Working closely with the Advocacy Director, the Assistant Advocacy Coordinator will be responsible for:

• assisting advocacy staff representatives in planning and meeting objectives through ongoing mentoring and support in managing files including arbitration, Labour Relations Board, exclusions, and privacy matters;
• supervising Advocacy servicing and support staff, including providing ongoing probationary work review and assessment;
• keeping the President, members, and staff informed of recent arbitration, Labour Relations Board and Court decisions;
• providing education to staff, members and in the labour movement, as directed by the President;
• working with the University of Victoria on Faculty of Law Co-op student placement; and liaise with other Unions on common labour relations issues or as directed by the President or the Director of Advocacy, Staff Development and Labour Relations.

The Assistant Coordinator will participate in the preparation of the annual Advocacy budget; and in the absence of the Advocacy Coordinator, authorize expenditures for the Union's subscription, hearing and legal costs.

This position may have administrative responsibility for a Component as assigned by the President and will work as part of an operational team with Component administrative responsibility to implement policies of the Union.

SALARY RANGE:

Bi-Weekly: $6,175.67
Annually: $161,118.91

Travel is required, therefore, applicants must hold a valid B.C. Drivers Licence.

The BCGEU supports employment equity. Indigenous workers, workers of colour, women, 2SLGBTQI+ workers, and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply for positions with the BCGEU.

Submit applications no later than 5:00 pm, Monday, April 29, 2024

Resumes will be accepted by e-mail to: [email protected]
Attention to: Stephanie Smith, President, c/o Lisa Trolland

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2024

Major investors with $1.7 trillion AUM demand action from Canada's largest companies on shareholder rights  

(Burnaby, British Columbia) An international coalition of institutional investors and service providers, representing over $1.7 trillion CAD in assets under management and advisory, have signed on to an investor statement calling on Canada's largest companies to act immediately to safeguard shareholder rights at virtual shareholder meetings.

The group, which includes California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), Desjardins Global Asset Management, the Church of England Pension Board and Connor, Clark and Lunn Investment Management, are asking S&P/TSX 60 companies to publicly disclose how they will ensure shareholders' statutory and common law rights are being upheld. The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) led the initiative. 

The rapid increase in virtual-only meetings, from zero S&P/TSX 60 issuers in 2019 to 57% in 2023, underscores a fundamental shift in how companies and investors are able to interact. The investor letter proposes modest and actionable guidelines to align virtual meetings with the participative standard of in-person events. These include real-time mechanisms for shareholder participation, transparent Q&A sessions, and the elimination of cumbersome registration processes that disenfranchise beneficial shareholders. 

Paul Finch, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the BCGEU, articulated the coalition's stance, stating: 

"The essence of shareholder democracy lies in the robust exchange of perspectives and the accountable exercise of shareholder rights. Some issuers are using virtual meetings to push practices that erode these fundamental principles. Technology can absolutely enhance shareholder democracy. As stewards of significant assets, it is our collective duty to ensure that technology serves as an enhancer, not a barrier, to shareholder democracy."

Oumayma Ouzane, Senior Advisor of Responsible Investment at Desjardins says: 

"Voting activities and shareholder engagement are both crucial to DGAM's responsible investment approach. With the rise of virtual meetings, we must safeguard shareholders' acquired rights to active participation in AGMs. Transparency and inclusivity in these virtual settings are essential if we are not to lose the value associated with these annual meetings."

Kevin Thomas, CEO of Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) says: 

"Like any shiny new technology, we can't let the potential of online meetings obscure the original purpose of shareholder meetings. Canadian law is very clear: these meetings are an opportunity for shareholders not only to communicate with the company, but also with each other. Whatever technology we use should facilitate that, not undermine it."

In 2024, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) released updated guidance on virtual shareholder meetings advocating for shareholder meetings to be held in both online and in-person formats, rather than in-person only. The Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG) also published a Virtual Shareholder Meeting Policy recommending strongly against virtual-only meetings as they may be used to limit shareholder rights.

Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis has further provided considerations and voting recommendations related to virtual meeting conduct and may recommend voting against the chair of the governance committee if the company holds a virtual-only meeting and does not provide adequate disclosure regarding shareholder participation rights and opportunities.

Shareholder proposals calling for in-person meetings have received majority votes at Metro (54%), CIBC (53%) and Air Canada (82%), and Bank of Montreal (50.7%), with votes to come at Bombardier (April 25), Cascades (May 11), Loblaw (May 2), Power Corp. (May 9), Quebecor (May 9), and TransatAT (April 23). 

The investor signatories include major pension funds, asset managers, and socially responsible investment firms who are steadfast in their commitment to fostering a corporate environment where shareholder engagement continues to serve as the cornerstone of corporate governance.

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For more information or to arrange media interviews with signatories, contact Emma Pullman, Head of Shareholder Engagement, B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) [email protected] 

Read the investor statement and list of signatories. Investors can still add their name to the statement by contacting [email protected]. 

About BCGEU: The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) represents over 85,000 workers in almost every community and economic sector in British Columbia. As a responsible investor, the union engages public issuers on ESG issues and has succeeded in achieving strong commitments in the realms of human rights, Indigenous rights, workers' rights, and governance. 

UWU/MoveUP

BCGEU,

Will you sign this petition calling on the provincial government to make changes to B.C.'s highways maintenance program that will improve the quality and safety of our highways? 

For decades, highways workers maintained the roads as direct provincial government employees. Then in 1987, sweeping changes were made to restructure government and privatize many public services – this included a fast-track program to transfer highway maintenance to private contractors. This, the government of the day said, would reduce costs and improve maintenance. 

By 1994, the BCGEU had concluded that the privatization program actually cost more than would have been the case had the ministry continued its program unchanged. In a report sent to government at the time, our union pointed out that these cost differences could have been better understood had the ministry retained at least two service areas for comparison (our province is divided into 28 service areas). 

The Public Access Protection Society, a non-profit organization that advocates for access to and maintenance of public roads and trails, is calling on the provincial government to implement this strategy by bringing at least two highways service areas back under direct government service. The petition points out that by doing this we can: 

1. Ensure the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective highway maintenance with safety for commuters and workers as a top priority.
2. Maintain the knowledge and experience of highways maintenance within the ministry.
3. Make sure the ministry is in a state of readiness to step in and deliver highway maintenance services directly in areas where service delivery has failed. 

The petition has already been signed by 1,500 British Columbians. In the interest of the enhanced safety and accountability of our highway maintenance program, please add your name today: https://www.change.org/p/restoring-original-highway-maintenance-program-in-bc

Every year, on April 28, BCGEU members across the province come together to honour and remember co-workers and family members who were injured, made sick or killed because of something that happened at work. 

It is critical that we all remember those workers and reiterate our commitment to fight for the living to prevent further tragedies. Here are a few ways you can acknowledge Day of Mourning on April 28: 

• Attend a ceremony in your community – see the list here.
• Download and post at your worksite the BCGEU's Day of Mourning poster. To receive a hard copy of the poster, please submit a request here by Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 5 p.m.
• Make an online dedication to those who have died or been injured at work.
• Observe a moment of silence.
• Share the following statement in your email signature or on social media:
  On April 28, we honour the lives of those that have been injured or lost their lives to workplace injury or disease in B.C. Visit dayofmourning.bc.ca for more information.
• Call on your employer to:
• work with health and safety committees and representatives to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, whatever work is taking place; and
• ensure all workers have access to free personal protective equipment, training and paid sick days so they can stay home when they are ill and not risk exposing co-workers and their community.
• Call on our provincial government to:
• Ensure every worker has seamless access to universal, permanent, and adequate paid sick leave, so no one has to choose between going to work sick and getting a paycheque. Being able to stay home when you are sick is fundamental to reducing workplace exposures and illness;
• Enforce workplace health and safety provisions, including the right to refuse unsafe work; and
• Deliver on the promise that workplace health and safety is recognized as a fundamental right at work at the International Labour Organization (ILO) this year.

Download PDF of Day of Mourning Poster here

In the wake of recent civilian deaths, today the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) -- our national union -- joined with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) to call on the Canadian government to suspend the trade of arms and military equipment with Israel. 

Click here to read their statement

Congratulations to the 2024 BCGEU Scholarship Winners.

The BCGEU is pleased to support our 2024 scholarship recipients in their continuing education.

2024 BCGEU Scholarship Winners

Scholarship of $2000 for full-time students and $1000 for part-time students were awarded to members and their families across the province with a total of $90,000 awarded in the total.

Winners will be mailed a letter with instructions on how to claim their scholarship.

Members can also apply for scholarships from our National union, NUPGE. Find more details here.

UWU/MoveUP