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Component 14 Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

This page was last updated: April 22, 2025

Overview 

What is a component? What is a local? How are they structured?  

  • A component is a group of BCGEU members working in similar occupations across the province. A component is made up of locals.  
  • A local is a group of BCGEU members working similar occupations in the same geographic area. Locals are where members discuss their occupational concerns with union leadership – an important part of our union democracy. 
  • Both locals and components are union structures that include an elected executive leadership, regular meetings and member-driven campaigns. The leader of the component is the component vice-president, and the leader of the local is the local chair. 
  • For more information about how the BCGEU is structured, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIzEpeXItBU  

How did the decision to create a new BCGEU component happen? Why is it important, especially for members?  

  • In January 2025, our Provincial Executive decided to create a new component – Component 14 Indigenous Sector – based on the recommendation of the PE Indigenous Advisory Committee and the Indigenous Sector Council with elected representatives from each area of the province representing your certifications.  
  • This was a three-year journey initiated by the hard-working activists of our union's Indigenous Advisory committee and leads a recent trend of politically uniting members in similar occupations to better coordinate labour relations, bargaining and political advocacy to advance members interests. 
  • This new component is also important because it brings together members of similar work and interests (i.e., members who work for organizations that serve Indigenous populations) and immediately gives you a certain degree of political autonomy and power inside the union to specifically deal with unique issues facing you as a community group of interest. This includes: 
    • An autonomous political structure including an elected and accountable leadership 
    • An annual budget 
    • An elected voice (your component vice-president) amongst the BCGEU’s highest governing body (the provincial executive) 

How does this decision impact me? 

  • This decision means you are now part of an internal BCGEU structure (a component) consisting of only members like you – workers of employers who exist primarily to serve Indigenous populations. 
  • This means that you will stop receiving communication about your previous local and component and begin receiving communication about your new local and component.  
  • It also means that you are no longer eligible to vote or run for office in your previous local’s election, but you are eligible to vote and run for office in your new local’s election. 

Will the new component have any effect on current collective bargaining?

  • The creation of this new component will not change any bargaining tables. Regardless of your move to Component 14, your unit will continue collective bargaining - whether that's being done independently or as part of the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA). Once your component executive is established (after local elections are complete), changes to collective bargaining can be analyzed and recommended, and resources allocated, to better represent your collective interests.

How/when will the Component 14 executive be established?

  • Once you've elected your local executives, the chairs of your locals (and additional representatives from larger-population locals) will form your component executive. The first component executive meeting will include training and education about component bylaws and the roles and responsibilities of executive officers. After that, the component executive will elect its officers (vice-president, treasurer, etc.) and, with some heavy assistance from BCGEU president Paul Finch and executive vice-presidents Coralie Gregoire and Tristen Wybou, get down to work establishing a finance committee, its annual budget, meeting schedule and anything else needed to set the component up for success.

What if I currently hold an executive role with my previous local? 

  • If you currently hold an executive officer role with your previous local, please continue in that role until elections of your previous local are complete. 

Will worksite job stewards and OHS reps remain in place, or will election/appointment process be redone after new local officers are elected?

  • Yes, they will remain in place. Stewards who were elected last October will continue in place until the next election in Fall 2027. OHS reps are officially appointed by the President so they will continue in place.

What are the new locals represented by this component?  

  • Component 14 has six locals: 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, 1412 and 1405/1406/1407/1408/1409/1410/1411. 

Why are there are only six locals of Component 14 when the BCGEU has 12 geographic areas? Why is one of the Component 14 locals a combination of many? 

  • As per the BCGEU constitution, a local is established where there are 50 or more members of a component in an area. Where there are less than 50 members of a component in an area, they become members of the nearest local in their component, by agreement of the component executive. 
  • Because there are less than 50 members in BCGEU areas 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, the decision was made by the Provincial Executive (in lieu of the to-be-created component executive) to create one local for C14 members in these areas.

Will these new locals operate the same as other BCGEU locals?  

  • Each of the new locals will initially operate using the BCGEU’s model bylaws (available on your local's page, found here). Once local officers are elected, bylaws can be modified by the established processes. 

How will these locals be serviced? 

  • The new locals will continue to be serviced by BCGEU staff from the respective area offices. 

Is there a vice-president for Component 14? 

  • Component 14 does not yet have a vice-president. Members elected to be the new locals’ officers will elect representatives to the new component executive including the new component vice-president. 

Is the treasurer position still relevant at the local level?

  • These positions are standard for all new locals. Once the local has been established, you will be able to review them and make changes at a local general meeting.

 

Worksites and members 

How many BCGEU members are in Component 14?

  • Approximately 1,365 BCGEU members are in Component 14.

Which worksites are included in Component 14? Are they owned/managed by First Nations? 

  • The new component includes employers who exist primarily to serve Indigenous populations.  
  • Regardless of who manages or owns the worksite, an employer’s primary mandate must be to serve Indigenous populations.  
  • The new component does not include employers who serve Indigenous populations alongside other populations. For example, the Ministry of Children and Family Development or some supportive housing providers would not be included even though they may have Indigenous-focused programs.  
  • Employers that are First Nations but serve a broader population – for example, a hotel owned by a First Nation – are also not included. 
  • See list of included employers below: 

 Employers included in BCGEU Component 14 

Previous BCGEU local 

Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society 

301 

Anspayaxw School Society 

712 

BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society 

301 

Coast Tsimshian Academy of Lax Kw'alaams 

712 

Dawson Creek Aboriginal Family Resources Society 

310 

Ditidaht Community School 

702 

Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society (Xyolhemeylh) 

304 

Haida Child & Family Services Society 

312 

Haida Gwaii Society for Community Peace 

312 

Haisla Nation Council – Instructors 

712 

Haisla Nation Council - Public Works 

712 

Haisla Nation Council – Support 

712 

Island Metis Family & Community Services Society 

301 

La Société de les Enfants Michif 

304 

Lii Michif Otipemisiwak, Family & Community Services Society 

305 

Native Courtworkers 

0701, 0702, 0703, 0704, 0705, 0707, 0709, 0710, 0712 

NEC Native Education College 

703 

Nil/Tu,O Child & Family Services Society 

301 

Northwest Inter-Nation Family and Community Services Society 

312 

Tla'Amin Health 

402 

Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society 

303 

Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre 

303 

Vancouver Aboriginal Health Society 

303 

Victoria Native Friendship Centre 

301 

WSA'NEC' School Board 

701 

 Which members are part of Component 14? Are they all Indigenous? 

  • Members of Component 14 work for employers that exist primarily to serve Indigenous populations.
  • Members who work for employers who serve Indigenous populations alongside other populations – for example, the Ministry of Children and Family Development or some supportive housing providers - are not included in Component 14 even though these employers may have Indigenous-focused programs.
  • Members who work for employers that are First Nations but serve a broader population – for example, a hotel owned by a First Nation – are also not included in Component 14.
  • Component 14 members are both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.  

Do I need to update my component number in the BCGEU Member Portal? 

  • Members are not required to update their component number – this has been done by BCGEU staff.  

Is this component going to follow some sort of traditional Indigenous values?

  • The opportunity to form culture as a component will be up to your component executive. The co-chairs of the Indigenous Advisory Council - Coralie Gregoire ([email protected]) and Tristen Wybou ([email protected]) - will assist your component executive in navigating the democratic structure of our union to create such a culture for Component 14 and to impact and influence all other BCGEU components. Note: The membership of Component 14 is not exclusively Indigenous but does exclusively work for employers who exist primarily to serve Indigenous populations.

Local elections 

When will elections for the new Component 14 locals happen?  

  • The timeline for the new locals’ elections will be later than the timelines of most other BCGEU locals’ election timelines. This delay allows two months to inform and encourage members to participate. 
    • Nomination period opens: March 29, 2025
    • Nomination period closes: April 28, 2025 
    • Elections begin: Late April or early May 2025 (your area office will communicate the exact dates to you by email)

What positions on my local executive are available for election in 2025? If elected, how long is their term? 

  • The following positions are available for election in 2025 in each of the six Component 14 locals: 
    • Chairperson  
    • First Vice Chairperson  
    • Second Vice Chairperson  
    • Treasurer  
    • Recording Secretary  
    • Member At Large  
    • Member At Large  
    • Member at Large - Young Worker  
    • Member at Large - Equity Worker  
    • Member at Large - Indigenous Worker 
  • Each of these local executive members will be elected for a term of three years.  
  • For more information about their roles and responsibilities, and the election process, read the Local Elections 2025 manual here. 

Why do Component 14 (Indigenous Sector) local executives include a Member at Large - Indigenous Worker position? 

  • Not all Component 14 members are Indigenous. Having a Member at Large - Indigenous Worker position ensures that at least one member of each Component 14 local executive is Indigenous.

What kind of time commitment is required of each local executive role?

  • Time commitment varies by role and how involved you get in the work. Being a local chair is a significant time commitment: you’re expected to hold local meetings at least once every quarter and attend component executive meetings at least once every quarter, as well as use your leave of absence days, though they will not cover the amount of time you spend working on behalf of your local (coordinating the work of stewards, preparing meeting agendas, etc.) Local chairs do union work every week, usually off the side of their desks, and usually after their employed work is done for the day. The time commitment of other local executive roles can be sometimes quite minimal. For members at large, your time commitment depends on the projects you take on. To get a further insight to the time commitment of each role, reach out to a fellow member currently doing that role.

How do I nominate a member for a local executive position? 

  • To nominate a member to a Component 14 local executive, you must complete a nomination form in one of two ways: 
    • ONLINE – complete this online form by the end of the day on April 28, 2025. Your nominee will be notified by email to accept the nomination. You will need the following: 
      • Your BCGEU Member ID 
      • The BCGEU Member ID of the person you’re nominating 
      • the local executive position for which you’re nominating the nominee 
    • DOWNLOAD – complete this PDF form and submit it to your nearby area office in-person or by email by the end of the day on April 28, 2025. You will need:  
      • Name of the person you’re nominating 
      • Name of the local executive position for which you’re nominating the nominee 
      • Your local number  
      • Your nominee’s signature 

How do I get nominated and run for a local executive position? 

  • To be nominated and run for a local executive position, you must:  
    • Provide your up-to-date personal email address at my.bcgeu.ca. This will ensure you receive all communications about the local process, including your nomination. 
    • Accept your nomination before the end of the day on April 28, 2025. If you are nominated by paper form, this means responding to the nomination notification email sent by your area office. If you are nominated by online form, this means clicking the link in the nomination notification email. This will ensure you are eligible for election. 
    • If more than one nomination is received for the position you are seeking election, submit one page of information (size 8.5 x 11 inches, in black and white) to your area office by the end of the day on April 29 (one business day of the close of nominations). You are encouraged to submit this page with your nomination to avoid missing this opportunity due to unforeseen circumstances. This information will be distributed with ballots to voting members. 

Will membership lists be made available for local executive candidates?

  • Yes. Candidates will receive a membership list from their area office that they can use to campaign during local elections.

What supports will be available for the new local executives during the time they are being established, and in the months after, while they “find their feet”?

  • All local executives will be given local officer training. Each local will have a staff assigned. There will be a staff person assigned to the component to assist as needed.

What time frame can be expected for training to be available for local executives?

  • Newly elected local executives will receive training through their area office once all local elections are complete.

Where can I learn more about local elections? 

Other

Is there an elders’ council that is able to represent the BCGEU, that could speak with elders from communities, when it comes to bargaining or dealing with grievances?

  • Currently, the BCGEU is implementing a pilot project to make elders available through various aspects of internal BCGEU processes. This project is a result of a resolution passed at the BCGEU convention in 2024. Like convention, your component executive can also create resources (like an elders' council) using its decision-making abilities and budget. In addition, your new component executive will be able to put forward motions at the provincial executive for union resources more broadly and bring ideas to the Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC), which is currently training shop stewards to assist Indigenous members and all members on Indigenous issues.

What is the Indigenous Advisory Committee and how do we contact them?

  • The BCGEU's Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) is a committee of the BCGEU provincial executive, the highest governing body of our union. The IAC is separate from Component 14. It was formed in 2021 and has 12 members from across the union, including from Component 14. It examines and advises the provincial executive on various matters, including the idea of creating this component. To connect with the IAC, contact the co-chairs: Coralie Gregoire ([email protected]) and Tristen Wybou ([email protected]).

What outreach is being done to areas with small numbers of Component 14 members?

  • Outreach to Component 14 members will be the responsibility of the component executive. Once established, your component executive will have a few tools available: a budget (including a member-to-member leave of absence budget for worksite visits), and shared union resources such as communication and organizing support.

What kind of things could the component do with its budget and autonomy?

  • A component executive can do virtually whatever it wants if it adheres to the financial policies, constitution and bylaws of our union, and upholds its primary job of meeting at least four times a year as leaders to make collective decisions on your behalf. With a starting budget of about $350,000 per year, there are incredible possibilities including meeting in any corner of the province using whatever appropriate format, organizing activities to talk with members and the communities in which you work, purchasing communications equipment and advertising, running campaigns, publishing materials, and attending labour events, memorial services and picket lines. Your component’s elected representative to the BCGEU provincial executive (your vice-president) can also advocate for Component 14 members’ ideas and needs to all other components.