Damkxw,

We have now concluded two days of bargaining; May 7 and May 8. We were scheduled to also meet May 9 but that was unfortunately cancelled due to illness. We will be meeting again on May 22 and 27 and are canvassing for additional dates.

As we are negotiating a first collective agreement that will establish your terms and conditions of employment including, wages, the Union's proposals (tabled May 7) are quite detailed. Please reach out to a member of your bargaining committee if you would like a copy.

A note of caution: the proposals are simply that – proposals. The final collective agreement is subject to negotiation with the Employer and although we made decent progress last week, we have a long way to go. Your terms and conditions of employment will not be established until there is a tentative settlement that has been ratified by the members.

The proposals were developed with a view toward ensuring that Gitxsan cultural values and knowledge are acknowledged and incorporated in the collective agreement. The proposals also address your key priorities such as wage parity with the school district, transparency, and fairness. Finally, the proposals contain language that is standard in all collective agreements such as seniority provisions, layoff and recall, and fairness in the hiring process.

We will provide another update following our May 27^th meeting with the Employer and sooner if necessary.

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.

In solidarity,

Victor Denny, Bargaining Committee Member
Hayley Harris, Bargaining Committee Member
Heather Raven Tuite, Bargaining Committee Member
Zoe Towle, Staff Representative, Negotiations

Download PDF of bulletin here

UWU/MoveUP