NEWS & UPDATES
February 09, 2018
Hard Rock Casino workers vote in favour of strike - BCGEU
Unionized workers at Coquitlam's Hard Rock Casino have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. The more than 400 casino employees, who joined the BC Government and Service Employees' Union in 2016, have been trying to negotiate a first collective agreement since January 2017. Read more.... UWU/MoveUP
February 09, 2018
Local 1702 First Credit Union - Union Meeting - BCGEU
DATE: Tuesday, February 13, 2018
TIME: 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
PLACE: Town Centre Hotel 4660 Joyce Ave, Powell River
There will be an important meeting for all BCGEU members employed by First Credit Union. The topic of the meeting will be important developments regarding collective bargaining.
Please make an effort to attend. Can't attend in person, please join us by phone at 1...
February 08, 2018
Local 1710 Your New Local Executive - BCGEU
Nominations closed on Monday, February 5, 2018 for the Local 1710 Executive.
Please join us in congratulating the following members in their position for this three year term of office!
Local 1710 Chairperson Kurt Langdon
Local 1710 1st Vice Chair Darrel Chorney
Local 1710 Recording Secretary Selena Yates
Local 1710 Member-at-Large Yana Pliassova-Bakouni...
February 08, 2018
Minimum Wage Announcement: Low Wage Workers Need $15 Now, Not in 2021 - BCGEU
Today's announcement by the provincial government that B.C.'s minimum wage will reach $15.20 per hour on June 1, 2021 is disappointing, both to the BCGEU and to the 20 per cent of B.C.'s workers who make less than $15 per hour. We think that the provincial government should take action to reduce poverty and inequality in our province by increasing the minimum wage to $15 immediately, as we stat...
February 08, 2018
BCGEU Welcomes Review of Labour Code - BCGEU
The BCGEU welcomes the provincial government's announcement earlier this week that they have appointed a committee of special advisers to review the provincial labour code. This review is a good first step in the process of restoring fairness to both the labour code and the BC Labour Relations Board.
The code review panel will be consulting with stakeholders around B.C. before reporting back to...
February 07, 2018
Local 1706 Executive Election Results - BCGEU
Please consider this formal notification of the results of the Local 1706 Executive election.
Arnold Jenner – ChairpersonJody Stratton –1st Vice ChairpersonCarrie Johnston – 2nd Vice ChairpersonVACANT– TreasurerVACANT– SecretaryVACANT – Member-at-Large (1)VACANT – Member-at-Large (2)
Note: The term for these positions is 3 years and will close in 2021
Download FYI Local 1706 Election Results ...
February 07, 2018
Local 1707 Election Results - BCGEU
The call for nominations for the Local 1707 Executive closed on February 4, 2018. We confirm the following have been acclaimed: Gayle Furgala - Chairperson vacant – 1st Vice Chairperson vacant – 2nd Vice Chairperson vacant - Treasurer vacant – Recording Secretary Kelly Hutchinson - Member-at-Large (Young Worker Representative) CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW LOCAL 1707 EXECUTIVE! Down...
February 06, 2018
Hard Rock Casino workers vote to strike - BCGEU
Hard Rock Casino workers vote to strikeAn astounding 99.5% vote in favour of strike actionMembers of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) working at Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action against their employer this week.In a vote held from February 1-4, over 90% of Hard Rock staff came out and voted 99.5% in favour of taking strik...
February 05, 2018
B.C.’s liquor stores well positioned under new cannabis retail regulations - ...
The new retail cannabis regulations announced by the B.C. government leaves B.C.'s liquor stores well-positioned to provide safe, secure, reliable access to non-medical cannabis products, the Responsible Marijuana Retail Alliance of BC (RMRABC) said today. While the government chose not to allow the sale of alcohol and cannabis in the same store, because of federal recommendations against co-lo...
February 02, 2018
BCGEU presses budget priorities in letter to B.C. Finance Minister - BCGEU
As the new NDP government prepares to introduce their first full budget on February 20, the BCGEU used the opportunity to restate our union's budget priorities in a letter to B.C.
Finance Minister Carole James:
Dear Minister,
Re Priorities for the upcoming B.C. Budget 2018/2019
Thank you for the opportunity to share our members' observations and priorities in the lead-up to B.C. Budget 2018...
February 02, 2018
Members at Hard Rock - Three more days left to vote - BCGEU
Despite heavy rain, over 50% of Hard Rock staff came out on the first day of the strike vote yesterday!
We've heard you loud and clear…you want a fair contract NOW!
Now it's time for those who haven't voted to come out and tell the employer that they have to do better at the bargaining table. Let's tell them that we won't back down until they offer us a deal that is comparable to what other cas...
February 01, 2018
Area 07 2018 Free Skate - BCGEU
FREE PUBLIC SKATE
Every year, the Cross Component Committee (CCC) of the BCGEU is pleased to celebrate the BC Family Day with free public skates throughout the Okanagan.
Here are the locations, dates and times for this year:
Sunday, Feb. 11thHassen Memorial Arena3315 Pleasant Valley RdArmstrong3:45pm - 5:45pm
Sunday, Feb. 11thJim Lind Arena2760 Cameron RdWest Kelowna1:30pm – 4:00pm
Monday, Feb....
February 01, 2018
BCGEU remembers Lorraine Logan - BCGEU
On behalf of the members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union I offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Lorraine Logan who passed away on January 23, 2018. An activist through and through, and right up until the end, she was a champion of workers' rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights and seniors' rights.
Lorraine Logan grew up in Vancouver. Her family was smal...
January 31, 2018
Read the Winter 2018 issue of The Steward - BCGEU
In this issue, we look at a variety of topics to keep you up-to-date on issues that could affect your workplace, and the members you represent. Topics include the duty to accommodate and how it may arise through discrimination based on disability or family status; the employer's legal duty to protect members from harassment on the employer's social media platforms; the employee's duty to mitiga...
January 30, 2018
Local 1701 Nominations for Local Executive - BCGEU
Nominations are now open for the following positions on the Local Executive as follows:
Local Chairperson
1st Vice Chairperson
2nd Vice Chairperson
Treasurer
Recording Secretary
Member at Large
Youth Member at Large
The term is for three years. Information on the responsibilities and activities of each office is available from your Area Office.
The nomination period is for January 29, 2018 – ...
January 29, 2018
Notice of Poll - Strike Vote for Hard Rock members - BCGEU
NOTICE OF POLL S T R I K E V O T E
A Strike Vote will be conducted on:DATE: Thursday, February 1st thru Sunday, February 4th, 2018
TIME: 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day
LOCATION: BCGEU RV: Motion Canada Parking Lot (Next door to Hard Rock Casino) 2001 Hartley Ave, Coquitlam, BC
For the employees of: Great Canadian Casinos Inc. (D.B.A. Har...
January 26, 2018
BCGEU Submission to Review of Professional Reliance - BCGEU
The government has initiated a review of the professional reliance model in the natural resource sector. The day-to-day work of thousands of BCGEU members is shaped by this regulatory model, and many of our members have raised the alarm about its shortcomings.
In its present form, the professional reliance model effectively lets the "fox guard the henhouse," leading in some cases to the misman...
January 25, 2018
Sticks and Stones... - BCGEU
"Sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you"…
This old children's rhyme from the 1800's was meant to persuade victims of name-calling to ignore the taunts of their peers. But since then, we've learned that name-calling can cause great damage to our psychological and physical health and safety. Name-calling, bullying, harassment and pranks can hurt us psychologically, w...
January 25, 2018
Lake City/Cascades Casinos Bargaining Update - BCGEU
To: All BCGEU Members at Lake City/Cascades Casinos Re: Bargaining Update!
Your bargaining committee began collective agreement renewal negotiations with your Employer on January 16th, 17th and 18th.
Talks were respectful and friendly, but as a bargaining committee, we left the negotiating table frustrated by a lack of movement by the Employer on important language proposals that had been prese...
January 25, 2018
Meeting for Area 07 Casino Members - BCGEU
DATE: Thursday, March 1, 2018
TIME: 2:00pm or 7:00pm
PLACE: BCGEU Area Office
1064 Borden Ave, Kelowna
AGENDA
• What is going on with individual departments
• What is going on with the Union
• Support for your Bargaining Committee
• Casino talk and what is being talked about
Please call the Area Office to RSVP 250-763-6405 / 1-800-667-1132
A conference call-in option is available for thos...
January 24, 2018
Hard Rock Casino Bulletin - BCGEU
To: BCGEU Members at Hard Rock CasinoRe: EMPLOYER WALKS AWAY FROM BARGAINING TABLE!
· December 8th - The union tabled its monetary proposal package
· January 19th - Employer tabled their very insulting monetary counter proposal
· January 22nd - The union responds with another monetary counter proposal
· January 23rd - Employer refuses to show up for bargaining, and advises Union that talks are ...
January 22, 2018
Hard Rock Casino Employer Tables Monetary Package - BCGEU
After a long wait, your employer finally responded to the union's monetary package on January 19th. We were hoping for a respectful response - instead, what they tabled was thoroughly insulting and completely inadequate. Talk about CHEAP!
You perform the same work, and work for the same company as your brothers and sisters at River Rock, but your employer is saying that you deserve less!
Bar...
January 22, 2018
Local 1703 Members at River Rock Casino - Shift Pick and Schedules - BCGEU
To: All Local 1703 BCGEU Members at River Rock CasinoRe: Shift Pick and Schedules
Due to ongoing issues with the shift pick and schedule, the BCGEU staff representative will be holding office hours at River Rock Casino on Friday, January 26th, 2018, from 1pm to 4pm.
This will be an opportunity to talk about any of your workplace issues, to ask questions and to let the Union know about your conc...
January 19, 2018
Update on Grand Villa Casino Bargaining - BCGEU
The bargaining committee will be meeting on January 29 to prepare for a preliminary bargaining meeting with the Employer on February 19. The parties have scheduled bargaining dates between March 5 to 29, 2018 and will add more dates, if needed, in April. In the December 12, 2017 News on Bargaining, the bargaining committee made a commitment to meet with the membership to review priorities and ...
January 19, 2018
Update on Starlight Casino Bargaining - BCGEU
The bargaining committee is meeting January 16 to 19, 2018 to review bargaining surveys and begin setting bargaining priorities. If you have not completed a bargaining survey yet, please do so and give it to one of the bargaining committee members. There will be more dates in February and March scheduled. Dates for bargaining have not been agreed to with the Employer; however, the Employer has ...