Your BCGEU bargaining committee met again last week to continue preparing to negotiate with CLBC.

We reviewed the highlights and details of the now-ratified settlement for BCGEU members in the public service. This agreement will have direct and indirect consequences for our own separate negotiations.

Because our health and welfare benefit plan is tied to the public service plan, we are directly affected by these improvements:

• Counselling: Effective January 1, 2026, the annual counselling benefit increases from $750 to $1000 per person and can be used on a newly extended list of counselling service providers (beyond just Registered Clinical Psychologists, Registered Clinical Counsellors, and Recognized Social Workers).
• Vision: Effective January 1, 2026, vision care will increase to $400 every 24 months for adults and to $300 every 12 months for dependent children.

Other aspects of the public service settlement will also affect our negotiations. This includes the elimination and replacement of the Public Service Job Evaluation Plan (PSJEP) which is incorporated by reference in our agreement. General wage increases (GWIs) across the broader public sector tend to follow a pattern set at a large sectoral table. Other parts of the public service settlement may also prove instructive.

We continue developing proposals that will advance our priorities as a CLBC bargaining unit and will meet at least once more to review and finalize them. In the meantime, we will seek bargaining dates with CLBC with an aim of commencing negotiations in February.
 
In solidarity,

Nancy Bell, Bargaining Committee Chairperson
Shannon Moyle, Bargaining Committee Member
Victoria Gray, Bargaining Committee Member
Lil Tugwell, Bargaining Committee Member
Ryan Stewart, Staff Representative, Negotiations Department

Download PDF of bulletin here

UWU/MoveUP