The CBA Bargaining Committee met for six days over the past two weeks with the Health Employers' Association of BC (HEABC) to begin the process of renewing our collective agreement. 

We have tabled substantial proposal packages related to non-monetary items and health and safety. We have been able to reach agreement on a number of administrative changes to the agreement and are actively working on dozens of other proposals. 

Your desire for fair wages, benefit improvements, and mental health supports remains our focus along with general parity with other health care workers. 

We are scheduled to meet again with HEABC in the first week of April and we will continue to update you as this process unfolds. 

In solidarity, 

Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee 

PS. Our union is closely monitoring the evolving economic landscape and its impact on members and bargaining conditions. As part of that, the BCGEU recently completed a detailed analysis of the provincial budget. Click here to read our union's take on the B.C. budget and what it means for members.

UWU/MoveUP

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

Over 50 delegates from the 12 locals that comprise Component 8 met on October 17th and 18th to determine our priorities for the next round of Community Bargaining Association (CBA) negotiations. 

Using input from over 3,000 responses to our September bargaining survey, and the bargaining proposals received through our locals, delegates got to work reviewing what priorities will be addressed at the bargaining table. These priorities were divided into three topics: monetary, non-monetary, and worker power. 

President Paul Finch opened the conference and spoke about the importance of communication between the various bargaining committees that the BCGEU represents. This includes 34,000 members in the public service and 15,000 members in community social services who will be bargaining at the same time. Then, Treasurer Maria Bennett spoke of the importance of communicating directly with members to address what their priorities are at the bargaining table. 

Also in attendance were other senior elected and staff of CUPE, UFCW and BCNU who are part of the CBA along with USW and HEU. 

On the second day, delegates learned more about the Community Health Bargaining Association and its history, essential services [1], and the complexity of preparing for job action if needed. 

In the last session of the conference, delegates elected the final two spots for the BCGEU bargaining team and alternates. Congratulations to Melanie Mason from 809 and David Fox from 801 who will join Scott De Long VP, Charmaine Fines Treasurer of Component 8, Carrie Lessing of 810, Shelley Einarson of 804 and Florinda Maguire of 803. 

As we get set to bargain, we're asking all members to update their contact information in the Member Portal. If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today. Already have a Member Portal account? You can log in here. If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it here. 

I look forward to updating you again once the bargaining dates are determined. 

In solidarity, 

Scott De Long 
BCGEU vice-president Community Health Services (Component 8) 

[1] Under the BC Labour Relations Code, some jobs can be designated as 'essential' to ensure minimum staffing levels to prevent immediate and serious harm to the health, safety or welfare of British Columbians during a strike. This is a standard part of the bargaining process. 

The next round of bargaining to renew our collective agreement is just around the corner. This is our opportunity to build on the gains we made in our last agreement, but we need your help to decide which issues to prioritize as your bargaining committee prepares to meet the employer at the bargaining table this spring. 

Will you fill out a short bargaining survey to let us know what issues are most important to you? Click here to take the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) bargaining survey now.

It's important that we hear from all classifications covered by the agreement so the proposals we put forward in bargaining reflect your needs and ideas. Please don't miss your chance to weigh in, click here to take the bargaining survey before it closes on September 25, 2024. If you know of a member who didn't receive this email, please send it to them. 

The information you provide will remain strictly confidential and will never be accessible to the employer. Thank you for taking the time to participate. 

In solidarity, 


Scott De Long 
BCGEU vice-president Community Health Services (Component 8) 

UWU/MoveUP

In 2025, our collective agreement - the contract that outlines our wages, working conditions and more - with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) will expire. This means that it's time to start preparing to negotiate a new one. 

The negotiation (or bargaining) process has several stages which are outlined below. Every stage is driven by BCGEU members like you working for B.C.'s community health sector.

You and your fellow community health members are represented throughout the bargaining process by the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) – a bargaining committee with representatives from BCGEU and six other unions with members covered by the community health agreement. BCGEU is the lead union in the CBA. Our role as your bargaining committee is to lead you through each stage of the bargaining process. 

We are currently in stage 1 - determining our bargaining priorities. Next week, we will email you a survey to complete about the issues that are most important to you. Please keep an eye on your inbox for the survey. 

Stages of the bargaining process: 

1. Determine our bargaining priorities: Our bargaining committee leads members through a process to identify the most important workplace issues to tackle in bargaining. It is important our committee receives responses from a majority of members so we can be confident that the issues identified are representative. We look for the most widely and deeply felt concerns, patterns in grievances and trends compared to previous bargaining rounds.
2. Bargain with the employer: Our bargaining committee prepares proposals based on your input, and the employer prepares proposals of their own. Bargaining officially begins when the two parties exchange proposals. Negotiation continues until one of two things happen – either an impasse or a tentative agreement (see below for more). Throughout this stage, you and your co-workers will be asked to engage in collective action to show the employer that we are united, and pressure them to agree to our demands.
3. If impasse is reached, escalate pressure: An impasse is when the two parties are unable to reach an agreement through negotiation. If an impasse is reached, our bargaining committee may call for us all to take a strike vote. Sometimes the threat of a strike is enough to force the employer back to the table. Sometimes we can avoid a strike by entering into mediation. And sometimes it's necessary to take job action – such as an overtime ban, work-to-rule and/or a strike. Before taking any job action, our bargaining committee will hold discussions with members to make sure everyone is ready to act together. 
4. Vote on a tentative agreement: Eventually we will reach a tentative agreement – whether through negotiation alone or after mediation or job action. Once the two parties reach a tentative agreement, you will receive a package of information outlining the details of the tentative agreement, and our bargaining committee will hold ratification meetings to make sure everyone understands what's in the deal. Then you and your co-workers will vote on the tentative agreement. If a majority of members vote in favour, the agreement is ratified as our new collective agreement. If members vote down the tentative agreement, the bargaining process resumes until a new tentative agreement is reached. 

P.S. It is important to note that tens of thousands of other BCGEU members who work in five other public sectors of British Columbia will also be negotiating new collective agreements in 2025. Because all six agreements are negotiated with essentially the same employer – the B.C. provincial government – our union is taking a coordinated strategic approach to ensure our employer knows we are aware of our collective power and are prepared to use it if needed. We will keep you informed of any coordination efforts as they are made. 

In solidarity, 

Scott De Long
BCGEU Vice President for Community Health (Component 8)

UWU/MoveUP