After months of preparation, today we begin bargaining our next collective agreement – the contract that outlines our wages, working conditions and more. Our current collective agreement which covers 21,000 workers expires on March 31, 2025.

In September, over 3,000 of you responded to our bargaining survey with your priorities. Then in October, 50 delegates from the 12 locals of Component 8 met to review the survey results and divided our priorities into three main topics: monetary, non-monetary, and worker power. Non-monetary priorities include things like improved scheduling or seniority rules. Monetary priorities include wage & benefit improvements. Worker power priorities include greater say and access through safety committees, and overtime by seniority. 

Finally, over the past several weeks, your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee has been hard at work preparing our proposal package. That's what we brought to the employer – the Health Employers' Association of BC (HEABC) - at the bargaining table today. 

Fair wages, benefit improvements and mental health supports are our top bargaining issues. Given the current economic situation, we expect a more difficult round of bargaining and that's why it's going to take all of us working together to reach our goals. At the end of the day, the most powerful tool that we have as a bargaining committee is an organized membership ready to take action in support of our work at the bargaining table. Here are a few things you can do right now to get started: 

• Refresh your knowledge about how the bargaining process works here: Bargaining 101

• Download and print a bargaining poster for your worksite's union board in colour or black and white. 

• If you know of a co-worker not getting these emails, help make sure we have their contact info. They can update their information here: https://members.bcgeu.ca/signup. 

This month we are at the table March 4-6 and then again March 11-13, 2025. More dates will be set throughout the spring and summer. 

And remember, it's not just us bargaining this round. Tens of thousands of other BCGEU members who work in five other public sectors of British Columbia are also negotiating new agreements. This means that over 71,000 BCGEU members strong are at the bargaining table in 2025. (Learn more about who's bargaining here.) 

It's a big year for our union – our collective power will make us strong and see us through!

In solidarity, 

Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee 

UWU/MoveUP