New inflation figures released today confirm that the maximum wage protections in our collective agreement will be triggered, and members will receive the full 6.75% wage increase starting April 1, 2023. 

This brings the total general wage increases for the first two years of the agreement to well over 10% for most members, on top of 1.5% low wage redress, and the elimination of step 1 on the wage grid.

Our bargaining committee is working with HEABC to make sure that you receive both the 2022 and 2023 wage increases as soon as possible, and we will keep you updated when we have more information.

Our current collective agreement – ratified earlier this year – also includes wage protections for the April 1, 2024 wage increases. We expect to have approximations of the April 1, 2024 increase around this time next year. You can find more information about the wage protections and other changes in our collective agreement on our ratification page.

In solidarity,
Your Community Bargaining Association 

UWU/MoveUP

General wage increases will now be applied on April 1st of each year of our new agreement. 

During the ratification process an issue arose at other health sector tables related to the effective date of general wage increases. Those tables agreed that the increases will be applied on April 1st of each year of the agreement instead of the first full pay period in April of each year of the agreement. 

The BCGEU, along with the other seven unions of the Community Bargaining Association (CBA), took the position that not bringing the CBA in line with this change would mean that other health care workers, who received a wage increase before us, would receive more during the term of the agreement. We felt this would be a violation of the "me too" provisions of our agreement that ensure that all sectoral agreements in our province receive the same general wage increases. 

We are happy to report an adjustment has now been made to address our positions and general wage increases for the CBA will be applied on April 1st of each year of the agreement as well.

In solidarity, 

Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 1, 2023 

BCGEU community health workers ratify three-year deal 

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – The member unions of the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) have ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC). The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) is the lead union representing 13,000 members and the agreement covers more than 21,000 community health workers across B.C. 

The deal was ratified by a vote of over 94 per cent. 

The tentative agreement represents substantial gains in key areas identified by members including significant wage increases averaging 14 to 16 per cent over three years, protecting workers' benefits, and providing greater control over working conditions. 

"In this round of bargaining, our members' main goal was to make meaningful progress toward closing the pay gap with their peers in other health sectors," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "Thanks to the solidarity and resolve of members in the sector, they met this goal and have made important gains towards the long-term sustainability of the community health sector. I'd like to thank the bargaining committee for its dedication to members and to all the people in B.C. that rely on these vital services." 

Members of the CBA are health care professionals who provide home care that enables seniors age in place, support people living with mental health and addictions challenges and provide administrative services to keep the community health care system running smoothly. 

The new agreement is effective April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025. 

Other member unions of the CBA are UFCW, HEU, CUPE, HSA, USW, CLAC and BCNU.

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Media contact: 

[email protected] 
BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)

UWU/MoveUP

The member unions of the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) have voted by over 94 per cent to ratify a new three-year collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC). 

The agreement is retroactive to April 1, 2022 and is effective until March 31, 2025. The employer controls when retroactive pay will be paid but the union will advocate for it to be issued as quickly as possible. More information about wages can be found on the FAQ: https://www.bargainingbc.ca/CBA_ratification

We made substantial gains in key areas identified by members including significant wage increases averaging 14 to 16 per cent over three years, protecting workers' benefits, and providing greater control over working conditions. 

Your elected leadership will now begin working with the seven other constituent unions of the CBA to implement the new provisions. The committees and working groups we have established will also begin working on full mobility in Health Authorities, OHS initiatives and any further changes or updates to the Joint Community Benefit Trust funding structure. You will receive updates as these items progress. 

The committee thanks you again for your solidarity and commitment in this round of bargaining. We are proud of the result and look forward to building on our momentum. 

In solidarity, 

Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee 

Voting on our tentative agreement will begin in just under two weeks. We'll be using a secure online voting platform called Simply Voting and your voting credentials will be sent by email. To ensure you receive these credentials, it's essential that our union has up-to-date contact information for all members. The easiest way to make sure we have this information is to keep your BCGEU Member Portal account up to date, but our records show that you're not signed up. 

The portal is a secure, members-only area of the BCGEU website. Will you take a moment to sign up and request your Member Portal account today? You will need your employee number from work as well as your BCGEU member ID which is: (check your email). Once your account is created, you will receive an email with a link to activate your account. After you activate your account, click My Account to update your contact information. 

Voting will take place from February 13 to February 28, 2023. Over the next few weeks we'll be working to make sure you have all the information you need to cast your vote. For details about town halls and other meeting opportunities, view our email from January 26. 

You can also view the comprehensive report and FAQs or use the wage calculator by visiting: www.bargainingbc.ca/CBA_ratification. 

If you know of a member who has not been receiving bulletins, please ask them to update their information on the BCGEU Member Portal – my.bcgeu.ca – or by contacting their area office. 

In solidarity, 

Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee 

UWU/MoveUP

Voting on our tentative agreement will begin in just under two weeks. We'll be using a secure online voting platform called Simply Voting and your voting credentials will be sent by email so it's more important than ever that we can communicate with members quickly and securely. Will you take a moment to log in to the BCGEU Member Portal to make sure your contact information is up to date? 

Forgot your password? Just click here to reset it. 

Voting will take place from February 13 to February 28, 2023. Over the next few weeks, we'll be working to make sure you have all the information you need to cast your vote. For details about town halls and other meeting opportunities, view our email from January 26. 

You can also view the comprehensive report and FAQs or use the wage calculator by visiting: www.bargainingbc.ca/CBA_ratification. 

If you know of a member who has not been receiving bulletins, please ask them to update their information on the BCGEU Member Portal – my.bcgeu.ca – or by contacting their area office. 

In solidarity, 

Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee 

UWU/MoveUP

As you know, our committee and union partners reached a tentative agreement on January 15 with the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) covering 21,000 community health workers across B.C. 

The tentative agreement represents substantial gains in key areas identified by members including significant wage increases averaging 14% to 16% for each step of the wage grid over three years. To get a more accurate picture of what this means for you, please use our wage calculator at www.bargainingbc.ca/CBA_ratification. 

The agreement also includes protecting workers' benefits and providing greater control over working conditions; significant gains on wage parity with those working under the Facilities Agreement (FBA) in hospitals and care facilities; a variety of improvements to address chronic recruitment and retention issues; premium increases for weekend shifts and a new evening shift premium; the extension of the CRA vehicle allowance to all employees covered by the CBA and much more. 

For full details, read the comprehensive report on the tentative agreement here

The next step is to make sure you have all the information you need to cast your vote. In the coming weeks, we'll be holding two telephone town halls:

• Thursday, February 23 at 6:00 p.m. PST 
• Friday, February 24 at 1:00 p.m. PST 

You will be called when the telephone town hall starts. Please visit my.bcgeu.ca to ensure your phone number is up to date so we can reach you. 

Each BCGEU Component 8 local will also host smaller in-person and Zoom meetings for their area. Please watch your email for more details. 

Voting will be open from February 13, 2023, to February 28, 2023. 

Your solidarity gave the committee the backing needed to keep fighting for a tentative agreement that we are proud to present to you, and we unanimously recommend you vote YES to accept. 

In solidarity, 

Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee 

Comprehensive report on the tentative CBA agreement. 

PS. If you know of a member who did not receive this bulletin, it is likely because we do not have their personal email address. Please ask them to update their information on the BCGEU Member Portal – my.bcgeu.ca – or by contacting their area office.

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2023

Community Bargaining Association reaches tentative agreement for workers in community health 

BURNABY, B.C. – After almost a year of negotiations the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) reached a tentative agreement on a new collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) in the early hours of Sunday, January 15. The agreement covers more than 21,000 community health workers across B.C. 

The tentative agreement represents substantial gains in key areas identified by members including significant wage increases, protecting workers' benefits, and providing greater control over working conditions. 

"In this round of bargaining, our members' main goal was to make meaningful progress toward closing the pay gap with their peers in other health sectors," said BCGEU (BC General Employees' Union) president Stephanie Smith. "Thanks to the solidarity and resolve of members in the sector, they met this goal and have made important gains towards the long-term sustainability of the community health sector. I'd like to thank the bargaining committee for its dedication to members and to all the people of B.C. that rely on these vital services." 

The tentative agreement has a three-year term and includes a general wage increase in each year. It also contains additional low wage redress monies, and the retention of benefits and seniority should workers move jobs within the same health authority. 

Full details will be shared with members in the coming weeks as the union prepares for ratification. The ratification vote is expected to be completed before the end of February. 

The BCGEU is the lead union representing 13,000 of the 21,000 members of the CBA. Other unions at the table were UFCW, HEU, CUPE, HSA, USW, CLAC and BCNU.

For more information contact: Jolan Bailey - [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

We are pleased to announce that the Health Services & Support – Community Subsector Association (CBA) reached a tentative agreement in the early hours of Sunday, January 15, 2023.

The BCGEU, which represents almost 70 per cent of workers covered by this agreement, was joined at the bargaining table by seven other unions who also represent workers covered by the agreement. Representatives on the bargaining committee from every union unanimously support the tentative agreement and are encouraging all members to vote in favour of ratification.

In the coming days, we will share details of the tentative agreement along with invitations to upcoming information sessions and information on how and when you can vote.

I want to thank you for standing with our bargaining committee through this difficult round of bargaining. It was your support and solidarity that gave our committee the courage to reject previous offers from the employer and keep fighting until we secured the best possible deal.

Thanks to you, we have secured an agreement that we are proud to recommend. We look forward to sharing more details on the significant wage increases, stronger language, and the preservation of benefits included in this agreement.

In solidarity,

Scott De Long, on behalf of the BCGEU bargaining team