Our union is pleased to share that we have succeeded in bringing all members working at nine Well Being Services/Retirement Concepts across B.C. to a common table for the next round of collective agreement negotiations. 

By consolidating bargaining, our collective power will better enable us to address issues that are common across Retirement Concepts worksites. This includes chronic under-staffing, high rates of staff burnout and injury and a crisis in recruitment and retention – all resulting in care deficiencies for seniors. As well, this new leverage puts us in a stronger negotiating position when it comes to wages, benefits and fighting to secure pensions for workers at all nine worksites.

This win also signals a return of worker power in a sector that has been in decline since the early 2000s when the BC Liberal government passed health care laws that weakened the rights of unionized workers. Fortunately these laws were repealed by the BC NDP in 2018, and unions have been able to push for better contracts without the threat of contract flipping and workers losing their jobs. It also opened the way for our union to apply to the labour board to bring Retirement Concepts workers under one agreement.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its second wave, you have the responsibility of caring for those most vulnerable to the virus. Your work has been so important and the challenges have been enormous, but these challenges have also created momentum for change.

There is now widespread public support to address issues facing B.C.'s seniors' care system. There are proposals from government to make significant improvements such as making wage levelling permanent. And now when we go to the table in 2022 as a consolidated bargaining unit, we'll be in a far stronger position to continue fighting for the conditions you, and the seniors you care for deserve.

In solidarity,

Mahen Ramdharry, VP, Component 4
Sean Antrim, Staff Representative

UWU/MoveUP