Last week we reported to you on the status of bargaining and our desire to return to the bargaining table as soon as the PSA has a revised offer to present – one which protects against increasing inflation by including a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). 
 
Securing an agreement with inflation protection is still your committee’s top priority in negotiations.
 

Click here to watch a video message from your Public Service Bargaining Committee about the current state of negotiations and what’s next.

How does COLA work?
Inflation protection is critical given that the rate of inflation shows no signs of slowing, and there are a variety of ways that COLA can be applied. Most methods involve determining impacts of inflation over the previous 12 months. For example:
 
Members of the Legislature and other legislative officers have their basic compensation adjusted every year on April 1^st. That adjustment is based on the percentage increase of the consumer price index for the 12-month period of the previous year.
 
Statistics Canada will release June’s data on July 20^th, and we will be closely monitoring the details.
  
Let’s get back to the table
As you will recall, the Deputy Minister of the PSA wrote to all public service employees with her perspective on the status of negotiations. In response to this communication, we wrote to the Deputy last week poising two questions: Does the employer have a revised offer they wish is to consider or are they simply inviting the union to bargain with ourselves?
 
The response we received says I want to be clear that the employer is ready to return to the table at any time. That should not be construed to imply that we have reconsidered our position at the bargaining table.
 
It is clear that the employer’s offer on the table is a take it or leave it proposition, the same one which we rejected several weeks ago.
 
Click here to read the letters:

• From the BCGEU on July 8
• Response from Bobbi Sadler on July 14

 
Ongoing Essential Service negotiations
With the assistance of the BC Labour Relations Board (LRB), essential service negotiations continue. In some areas, these discussions have been straightforward.  In other areas however, the employer is seeking essential service levels which are at or near full staff complements. It seems that some ministries are only concerned about staffing levels when facing a labor dispute! Our legal team is working with frontline members from the affected ministries to deal with these issues. We anticipate that there will be ministries where we cannot reach an agreement with the PSA, and that the LRB will need to make a judgment on our respective cases and issue orders. Our team has been working hard to make sure we can action our strike mandate as soon as possible, and we will keep you informed. 
 
In the meantime, our union is identifying and training picket captains and setting up the administration of strike pay. You can expect to receive details on these matters in the coming weeks as well as answers to some of your frequently asked questions.
 
 
In solidarity,

Your BCGEU Public Service Bargaining Committee

Stephanie Smith, President
Paul Finch, Treasurer
Judy Phipps, Executive Vice President
Dean Purdy, Vice President - Component 1
Kusam Doal, Vice President - Component 5
Judy Fox-McGuire, Vice President - Component 6
Kayla Woodruff, Member at Large - Component 6
Maria Middlemiss, Vice President - Component 12
Matt Damario, Component 12
Robert Davis, Vice President - Component 20
Michael Eso, Secretary and Lead Negotiator
Lisa Lane, Support Staff
 

Download PDF of notice here