Friends,

Thank you to each of you who took the time to drop-in on June 16, June 22 or otherwise reach out.

The results of the short form survey are supported by what we heard: your workload is excessive, you are tired of doing work for which your Employer is responsible such as meeting staffing levels, and that you want to be able to focus on the job for which you have been hired which is to provide for the care, well-being, and education of the children under your care. We have a lot of work to do. But you are each engaged and committed to positive improvements to your collective agreement. Your show of solidarity was inspiring.

We will be meeting on July 6, 2022, to determine our next steps which will include development of a long form survey to quantify what we have learned as well as scheduling additional member meetings to continue to seek your input to allow us to develop proposals that are reflective of members' priorities.

If you know a BCGEU member who didn't receive this bulletin, please forward it to them. If you are a BCGEU member who didn't receive the bulletin directly, please update your email address with your Union by logging into the Member Portal here.

KNOW YOUR CONTRACT: VACATION
Despite what your Employer may have told you, you are not required to take your vacation during the Employer's two shutdown periods of one week in August and, the period between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. You are entitled to take your vacation "at any time" subject to "mutual agreement and bargaining unit seniority." You are also entitled to carry-over up to one half of your annual vacation "with prior written approval".

The requirements for mutual agreement (Article 6.4) or prior written approval (Article 6.5) do not allow your Employer to simply do what it wants. The collective agreement applies to the Employer in the same manner that it applies to the Union and its members. Your Employer may tell you that it has the right to manage the workplace and it can, but it cannot do so in a manner that is contrary to the collective agreement, unreasonable or unfair. Unilaterally scheduling your vacation and routinely refusing carry-over of vacation is contrary to the collective agreement, unreasonable and unfair. It is also contrary to years of established practice. 

If you have been directed to take vacation during certain times or refused carry-over, please contact your steward Shannon Heighes [email protected]

Article 6.2 says that vacation for Regular Fulltime Employees is prorated at 2/3 working day’s vacation for “each month or major portion thereof worked” in their first year of employment.

Article 6.3 says that after the first year of employment Regular Fulltime Employees are entitled to twenty (20) working days with pay “to take at any time within the calendar year [emphasis added]” pursuant to the scheduling requirements found at Article 6.4.

Article 6.4(a) says that vacation time is to be determined by “mutual agreement” and based on bargaining unit seniority.

Article 6.5 says that “Up to one-half of vacation entitlement may be deferred until the next year with prior written approval.”

Article 6.6 says that “Regular and long-term auxiliary part-time employees shall be entitled to vacation time on a pro rata basis.”

Article 6.7 says that upon “proof” – read medical certificate, vacation time will be converted to sick time if a member becomes ill or injured.  Any unused vacation should be banked.

Article 7.3 says that if a statutory holiday falls during your vacation that stat will not be considered a vacation day.  For example, you are scheduled to take vacation the entire week of June 27th.  July 1, the Canada Day stat, falls on the Friday of that week.  Your draw on your vacation will be for four (4) not five (5) days.

Article 16.1(c) says that Auxiliary Employees “who have worked in a temporary fulltime or part-time position for a minimum of three consecutive months and who worked at least 20 hours per week will receive all the rights and privileges of this agreement for which they meet eligibility requirements, unless otherwise specified in the agreement [emphasis added].”

Article 16.4 says that “[E]xcept as otherwise noted, the provisions ... Article 6 – Vacations … do not apply to auxiliary employees …”  We say that Auxiliary Employees who meet the criteria established in 16.1(c) are “otherwise noted” meaning Auxiliary Employees are entitled to the vacation entitlements set out in Article 6.1.

In solidarity,

Freyja Sankey, Chairperson, Bargaining Committee
Gail Gordon, Member, Bargaining Committee
Shannon Heighes, Member, Bargaining Committee
Zoe Towle, Negotiations Staff Representative

Download PDF of notice here