Solidarity and Strength

This is a critical time for our union that requires the strength and solidarity of every one of our 55,000 members across the province. Current bargaining challenges are unprecedented. Our members in the public sector – over two-thirds of our union – are at the bargaining table, driving to settle contracts within an extraordinarily tight time frame set by the finance minister’s billion-dollar one-time fund for agreements reached prior to their expiry. It’s a huge incentive for the government to offer, and not one to be taken lightly. But we must not lose sight of the issues members across the public sector have told us are most critical. A one-time bonus, once spent, is gone. And it won’t go very far if you no longer get a paycheque because the government privatized or contracted out your job. We began this round of negotiations with cautious optimism. The finance minister spoke of wanting to change the relationship with public sector unions and workers from one of confrontation to one of conversation. So do we. Our optimism quickly changed to deep concern. The government’s negotiators came to our bargaining tables with shopping lists of concessions. While we propose solutions to issues like recruitment and retention, workforce instability, and the need to improve public services, the government is either disinterested or reluctant to deal with them. If we are to reach settlements by the contract’s expiry on March 31 – a tight timeframe imposed by the finance minister herself – the government is going to have to quickly get serious about our members’ key issues. In the health and community social services sectors the government used legislation to tear up collective agreement job protection and to cut wages and benefits. We are pushing to make up lost ground, keep up with the cost of living and protect against job loss. In the education support sector, talks at the multi-union bargaining table have to date failed to reach agreement on monetary issues. This main table was established to ensure consistency in compensation for support workers across the sector who have historically been treated like second class citizens by their employers in wages and benefits. In the direct government sector, our 25,000 members are in the midst of taking a strike vote to back their demands to halt privatization and contracting out, strengthen employment security, and achieve a fair and decent wage increase. The government’s negotiators are demanding significant concessions that would put the jobs of over 6,000 of our members in jeopardy, while their wage offer is insultingly low. Across the public sector, workloads—already unmanageable—have increased. Morale is at an all-time low. Wages have fallen behind. Some of our members—particularly in the health and community social services sectors—have had to take a second or even third job just to make ends meet. Others have simply burned out and abandoned their careers altogether. It’s time we sent the government an unmistakable message that `we’ve had enough’. The future of the public sector depends on it. British Columbians depend on it. Our members’ livelihood depends on it. Our members need to see real wage increases that make up for lost ground after years of wage freezes for some, and wage rollbacks for others. We need to halt this government’s agenda of handing over our work to the private sector. We need stronger—not weaker—employment security. We demand respect, dignity, and fair treatment. And we’re prepared to fight for it.