Friends,

We are writing to advise that your Employer has agreed to attempt mediation to reach a tentative settlement on the renewal of your collective agreement. The mediation is scheduled for Friday, May 13. 

We will provide an update following or sooner if circumstances warrant.

We also thought it would be useful to take this opportunity to provide a bargaining summary.

In March of 2021, bargaining started for the renewal of your current (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2019) collective agreement.

In January 2021, the BCGEU applied to the Labour Relations Board (LRB) to have various HCN-Revera Lessee (Revera) sites represented by the Union declared as one employer also known as a common employer, because those sites are all under the control and direction of Revera.  Two of the sites the Union wanted declared one employer are Fleetwood Villa and Whitecliff. Separate from bargaining, the Employer and Union engaged in discussions regarding the Union’s application.

In March 2021, the BCGEU and Revera reached an agreement on the Union’s one employer application and in May 2021, the LRB issued a Consent Order formalizing that agreement.

The Consent Order stipulates that the renewal of your current (2017-2019) Fleetwood Villa collective agreement must have an expiry date of December 31, 2022. The same condition applies to the Whitecliff collective agreement. The Consent Order also stipulates that bargaining for the renewal of the Fleetwood Villa and Whitecliff collective agreements (both still in negotiations) that will expire December 31, 2022, when renewed, must take place at the same (or common) table starting in December of this year.

But before we can go to a common table we need to first renew your current (2017-2019) collective agreement. As you know, negotiations for renewal of your current collective agreement reached impasse in June 2021.

In June 2021 your bargaining committee and employer reached a tentative settlement which was overwhelmingly rejected by members.  In response, the Union and Employer agreed to mediation to assist the parties in resolving the impasse. Mediation dates were set for late November 2021. Due to the possibility of escalating job action by unionized support staff of the BCGEU, the mediation dates set for November were cancelled by the union.

In February 2022 a status update was distributed to the members.

In March 2022, in response to a resignation from your bargaining committee, Ruby Driedger was acclaimed to the bargaining committee.

As of this writing, as indicated at the beginning of this bulletin, the Employer and Union have rescheduled mediation for May 13.

However, here too the Consent Order places conditions on what can be bargained. Bargaining improvements to your collective agreement are restricted to the following items:

1. Total Compensation;
2. Expense Reimbursement Items; and,
3. Compliance with the Employment Standards Act.

Those conditions will apply during mediation or any other bargaining for the renewal of the 2019 – 2022 agreement.
We will keep you informed of developments.
 
In Solidarity,
Ruby Driedger, Bargaining Committee Member
Zoe Towle, BCGEU Negotiations Staff Representative

Download PDF of notice here

UWU/MoveUP