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Your bargaining committee and Employer have met for three days to negotiate your first collective agreement for Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society. Negotiations have taken place on February 12^th, March 8^th, and March 11^th.

Progress has been slow. Both parties tabled their non-monetary language proposals on February 12^th, including 30 such proposals from your union committee. Many of the Union's non-monetary proposals contained language that is standard in many, and in some cases most, BCGEU collective agreements. The Employer's responses on the first day were disappointing. It did not agree to a single union proposal, and in two cases, insulted the efforts or intentions of your bargaining committee. We expressed that such disrespectful behaviour was unacceptable and are pleased to report that the Employer's approach has since become more collegial.

The second and third days of bargaining, on March 8^th and 11^th, saw the parties agree on a total of four non-monetary language proposals. The Employer has not agreed to standard language regarding collective agreement formatting, union rights, acquainting new employees, contracting out, grievances, arbitration, and seniority; these, and around 20 other non-monetary proposals remain outstanding. Despite the slow rate of progress, the parties have exchanged numerous counterproposals and moved closer to agreement in four areas. Your union bargaining committee will make at least six additional counterproposals when the parties next meet. While we would like to reach a tentative collective agreement as soon as possible, we are not prepared to sacrifice good, and often standard, contract terms in the name of expediency.

Our next bargaining dates are April 8^th and 11^th with additional dates scheduled for April 16^th and 26^th and May 16^th, 21^st, and 22^nd. We will provide a further update in mid-April. In the meantime, please speak with a worksite member of your bargaining committee if you have any questions or concerns.

In solidarity,
Pinky Rose Mateo, Bargaining Committee Chair
Yumiko Turco, Bargaining Committee Member
Satomi Yoneda, Bargaining Committee Member
Ryan Stewart, Staff Representative, Negotiations Department

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