To: All BCGEU Members at Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC
Re: Bargaining Update

We are pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement. The term of your current collective agreement ended on December 31, 2021. The parties attempted to reach agreement on wages for a one-year extension in January 2022 but could not agree. Negotiations for a full renewal collective agreement resumed last week.

We spent long days discussing important issues and priorities brought forward by members in bargaining and reached agreement on a number of improvements.

Highlights for the tentative agreement are as follows:

• Four-year term, ending December 31, 2025
• 4% general wage increase retroactive to January 2, 2022
• Wage adjustments in accordance with the changes to PSJEP:
  - Grid 7 adjusted to Grid 9, retro to April 1, 2020
  - Grid 11 adjusted to Grid 12, retro to April 1, 2022
  - Grid 13/14 adjusted to Grid 15, retro to April 1, 2022
  - TMA for IS 27 renewed and increased by 3.3%, April 1, 2024
• 6% general wage increase, effective January 7, 2023
• 2.75% general wage increase, effective January 6, 2024
• 2.75% general wage increase, effective January 4, 2025, with a wage reopener if BC CPI goes above 3.5%
• Increase to a number of premiums and allowable expenses, including afternoon and night shift premiums, transportation allowance, meal allowances, private vehicle damage, child care expenses, first aid certificates
• Increase to boot allowances to $300 every two years
• Increase to health spending account to $400
• Expansion of the definition of family for Indigenous Workers to anyone an Indigenous worker recognizes as family
• Cultural, Ceremonial, Spiritual Leave for Indigenous Workers – 2 paid days
• Leaves updated to reflect paid leaves in accordance with the Employment Standards Act, including paid sick leave and leave for sexual and domestic violence

Full details will be provided in a comprehensive report to members with all of the agreed-to changes in the tentative agreement. Dates for information sessions and ratification to follow.

The bargaining committee is recommending yes to ratify the tentative agreement.

We want to ensure that we can get this information out to members and confirm the date for our ratification vote as soon as possible.

To help ensure that you receive a copy of the ratification document and details for the ratification vote, which will be done online, please provide a personal email address to the BCGEU at https://my.bcgeu.ca/signup. If we already have an email address on file for you and you wish to edit or update any of your existing contact information, you can use the same form. It is critical that the BCGEU has your current information so that we can provide you with the information necessary for ratification, including voting credentials.

We understand that many members were not able to receive emails from the BCGEU. If you know of a member who has not received this email, please forward this to them. Members who continue not to receive information can contact [email protected] with their full name and an updated email address so that we can check our records and provide some assistance.

Thank you for your patience and support.

In solidarity,

Your bargaining committee:

Tony Andrychuk, Bargaining Committee Chair

David Ek, Bargaining Committee Member

Aaron Wolff, Bargaining Committee Member

Selena Kongpreecha, Staff Representative - Negotiations

UWU/MoveUP