Early bargaining sessions realize ‘some success’

8 Feb '12

As you know, over 85 percent of our members have collective agreements expiring on March 31. This includes direct government, community social services, health care, education and a host of other sectors. Together with other public sector workers, over 300,000 workers in British Columbia are at the bargaining table.

I made it clear at our June convention that we would not take any more zeroes in our agreements and I want to assure you that remains our mandate at the bargaining table. Our members did their part in the last round of bargaining and it’s only fair and respectful that the employer comes to the table with a fair and reasonable offer.

For direct government, the last two weeks of small table component negotiations has produced some success. A number of housekeeping items and other issues have been settled.

Issues that don’t find agreement at the Component table are transferred to the master table, which started negotiations again on February 7. Our goal is to reach agreement at or near March 31 and we will continue to work towards that.

Here's where the other tables are at:

Community Health and Facilities are at the table the week of February 6.
Health Science Professionals will meet in union caucus on February 27 to develop their tabling package. They will meet with the employers in March.
Community Social Services meets with the employer on February 27.
Post Secondary Instructors ratifying the common table and local agreements for 2010-2012 period. Post Secondary Support Staff are still engaged in common table negotiations on the 2010 round. No dates for 2012 bargaining have yet been set for either table.

All of our negotiators are working hard to try and get agreements.

I want to make sure we get timely information to you during negotiations. Check the union's web site regularly, and please make sure we have your home e-mail address. (click here to update). E-mail is the fastest way to get information to you during bargaining and other important events. Over 5,000 of you have sent us your e-mail addresses in the last month.

The premier has indicated she wants to provide stability and economic leadership. I believe reaching a fair and reasonable collective agreements is a key part of that.

We have been doing our part. We’ve provided a number of ideas to generate revenue, such as opening liquor stores on Sunday, which can help us reach agreement.

Darryl Walker's blog

Overwhelming Yes to Strike

Submitted by Anonymous on April 16, 2012 - 9:15pm.

Let us not forget that whenever our agreement ends, we always have to start from scratch. That means what we had the previous years will be brought forward by our negotiators back on the table for consideration and for enhancement. This time, the employer representatives would like some of those items to be removed such as job security et al.

An overwhelming YES TO STRIKE is what we need. If we do not get that mandate everything that we had worked and fought for like JOB SECURITY,etc. will be gone one by one if not all.

Remember: UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL!

Government Cut backs

Submitted by Anonymous on February 27, 2012 - 5:50pm.

Is there any Voluntary Departure packages like they had 10 years ago in the works for any employee that will be impacted by these recent proposed government cut backs?

nap time

Submitted by Anonymous on February 22, 2012 - 2:34pm.

I would like to know why we can't lose people in our overstaffed areas? My pay has essentially been cut, while I work full-time and my union brethren are napping at work (I wish I was joking--but it's true).

Overstaffed?

Submitted by Anonymous on February 24, 2012 - 12:08pm.

Really? Overstaffed? Where exactly? After a decade of cuts, the public service is reeling, trying to keep up with increasing demand, with fewer resources.
In the resource sector, which is a key economic sector, there is a backlog of more than 7,000 applications due to a shortage of staff due to past cuts. In forestry, we have no idea how much timber is available for long term use, because the government has gutted the research and inventory branch. Courts are backlogged due to lack of staff resources. And it goes on and on.
So please do not go on with that old saw about lazy union workers. It insults the intelligence of the all thinking citizens.

Golden handshakes

Submitted by Anonymous on February 21, 2012 - 8:10pm.

We hear about senior officials getting "golden handshakes" ...... Settlement packages ....when at the same time my son is sleeping on the floor at the jubilee hospital: there are insufficient beds available. It makes my blood boil.
This is not the kind of world I want my granchildren to be in. Such a divide between the have's and have-not's

night shifts

Submitted by Anonymous on February 18, 2012 - 10:32am.

night shifts need to be paid more money, last contract there was money for weekend shifts and nothing for night shift, I was very disappointed, so please make this happen, it is very unfair for nights to get paid the same as day shifts,

I would like some explanation

Submitted by Anonymous on February 14, 2012 - 2:01pm.

I would like some explanation why Management and Excluded employees have all continued to receive their wage increases throughout this net zero? How does that fit into the net zero? Why do they get better wages, better benefits, increases?

Christy Clark's radio "Throne Speech" Feb 13

Submitted by Anonymous on February 13, 2012 - 9:01pm.

After listening to Christy Clark today and her total lack of respect for the tradition of the Throne speech (cheesy radio interview does not make a Throne speech) and the blatant attack on public servants of this Province,

I am thoroughly disgusted with the attitude of this government. I am really hoping that a clear message is sent to this government that the public servants have had enough of the "zero" wage increase attitude (especially since the cost of living has meant that we have actually taken a pay cut).

We are doing more work with less resources leading to increased stress and fatigue in our remaining workforce. We will be totally burned out before long ... between that and those retiring I guess the government will realize their cost savings as there will be few of us left.

housekeeping?

Submitted by Anonymous on February 10, 2012 - 1:05pm.

housekeeping had better include monetary based changes.... or we ought to just get up from the table, walk away, stick with what we've got right now (because let's face it the progress has been backwards, not forwards over the past 4 agreements thank to our union bargaining committees) and tell the government that when they're ready to talk about money, so are we. ridiculous. Stop dancing around the issue that the entire union membership wants to talk about, Mr. Walker.