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COMPONENT 3 - COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES

Component 3 includes members who work in community social services.

These caring professionals provide supports, services, and resources to vulnerable families and individuals across the province. They include supporting adults and children with developmental disabilities, women and children fleeing violence, youth-at-risk, child care, community justice services, Aboriginal services, and employment services, among others. With over 12,000 workers in the sector, BCGEU is the largest community social services union in B.C.

NEWS & UPDATES

February 03, 2016

Local 303 members nominations for vacant executive positions

Nominations are now open for the following vacant positions on the Local 303 Executive: Member at Large – General Services (1 position) Member at Large – Aboriginal Services (1 position) Member at Large – Independent Agreements (1 position) Member at Large – Sea-to-Sky Corridor (1 position) Member at Large – Sunshine Coast (1 position) Member at Large – Young Worker (1 position) The t...

February 03, 2016

Applications open for 2016 CLBC-BCGEU scholarship fund

Applications are now open for a scholarship that enables B.C. adults with developmental disabilities to pursue jobs training or personal development. Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) and the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) co-sponsor the $100,000 scholarship fund, established as part of their 2012 collective agreement. The fund is open to adults who are eligible f...

February 02, 2016

Community Social Services Wage Increases to Take Effect on April 1, 2016

We’re happy to announce that on April 1, 2016, the first of three compensation comparability wage increases for Community Social Services (CSS) workers will take effect. This 2.5% increase, combined with the Economic Stability Dividend of 0.45%, will result in an increase for all members covered by the Community Living Services and General Services collective agreement. Click here to see the u...

January 29, 2016

To all Direct Government OHS Committee Members in the Victoria Area

"Incident Investigations" will be held on Wednesday, March 2 and "Ergonomics" will be held on Thursday, March 3. The Incident Investigations course will be held at the BCGEU area office, 2994 Douglas St., Victoria and the Ergonomics course will be held at Harbour Towers, 345 Quebec St, Victoria. In the Incident Investigations course you will learn: The legislative requirements for conductin...

January 29, 2016

Labour Code OHS Committee Members in the Langley Area

"Ergonomics" will be held on Tuesday, March 1 and "Incident Investigations" will be held on Thursday, March 3. These courses will be held at the BCGEU office at 8555 198A Street, Langley from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm In the Ergonomics you will learn: Requirements of the ergonomics regulation How to identify ergonomic hazards, to assess the risk factors of tasks and to recommend appropriate soluti...

January 28, 2016

National Survey on Seniors' Care - Work/Life Balance

The issue of elder care received next to no attention during the 2015 federal election. This is alarming as the fastest growing segment of the Canadian population is older Canadians (people 85 and older), most of whom are women. In 1900, the average life expectancy was 47 years of age; by 2000 that had increased to 76 years of age. The end result is the expansion of our population of older adul...

January 28, 2016

BCGEU Signs on to Petition to Free Chinese Labour Activists

On Thursday, January 28, the BCGEU signed on to a petition calling for the release of Chinese labour activists who were detained by the government. Advanced by the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, the petition has now been signed by over 175 organizations. Read more about the petition and sign as an individual China Kidnappings in Spotlight as Canada Mulls New Trade Deal - The Tyee...

January 28, 2016

Liberal government right to repeal anti-union Bill-377

The BCGEU is welcoming news the federal government has introduced legislation to reverse anti-union laws introduced by the Stephen Harper government last year. In the House of Commons today, the Liberals introduced legislation that would reverse changes to laws under Bill-377, which placed vastly expanded requirements on unions to disclose how members’ dues are spent. “This legislation had not...

January 27, 2016

Island Crisis Care Society strike registration scheduled

Your Employer remains unwilling to address your identified top priority issue, therefore the strike mandate will be actioned in the near future. An all-day drop in strike registration has been scheduled as follows: Date: Friday, February 5, 2016 Time: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Location: BCGEU Nanaimo Area Office, 106-1650 N. Terminal Avenue, Nanaimo In order to be scheduled for picket du...

January 26, 2016

Human rights ruling demands equal funding for First Nations children

The federal Human Rights Tribunal’s landmark ruling reveals that the Canadian government has engaged in systemic racial discrimination against First Nations children by failing to provide the same level of child welfare services as exist in the rest of Canada. The human rights complaint was launched on behalf of 160,000 First Nations children by Cindy Blackstock and the First Nations and Famil...

January 25, 2016

BCGEU’s Occupational Health and Safety Networkers

The creation of the OHS Networking team comes from the BCGEU 2014 convention. Convention delegates were loud and clear with their OHS resolutions: they wanted an expansion in the OHS department. They wanted BCGEU OHS activists to play a larger role, and to see the creation of an OHS Task Force. The OHS Task Force, released their report in April of 2015, with strong and practical recommendations...

January 22, 2016

UNITE HERE! Local 40 Hilton Metrotown and Coast Hotels Bargaining Update

A message from Unite Here! Local 40 Thanks to all of you from BCFED Staff, CUPE, FPSE, GEU, HEU, HSA, MoveUp, TWU/SWA and Unifor who came out to support our members at the Hilton Metrotown on January 20. Management took notice of your support. Many of you have asked for updates on the status of bargaining at both the Hilton and with Coast Hotels in Kelowna, Victoria, Nanaimo and Prince George...

January 21, 2016

Local 311 open of nominations for vacant executive position

Nominations are now open for Member-At-Large (Young Worker) position for your Local Executive. Your Local Executive is as follows:       Chair: Chris Mikulasik (250-564-6408) 1st Vice Chair: Linda Black (250-564-6408) 2nd Vice Chair: Troy Knox (250-564-6408) Treasurer: Karoline Doyle (250-564-6408) Recording Secretary: Pat Westerlund (250-564-6408) Member-At-Large: Ken Riemer...

January 21, 2016

Local 301 - executive and general meeting - January 26, 2016

TIME: Executive – 5:30 pm, General – 6:30 pm PLACE: BCGEU Victoria Area Office - Boardroom AGENDA Please join us for a meeting on January 26, 2016.  On the agenda: JOHS Training M2M Worksite Visits Report CLC Leadership Lab C3E Steward Networking/Meetings at Worksites Enhanced JOHS and Steward Training In solidarity Ken Neal, Local 301 Chairperson Cheryl Jones, BCGEU Staff Represen...

January 21, 2016

Statement on First Nations Supreme Court ruling

The BCGEU enthusiastically supports the January 13 B.C. Supreme Court decision in favour of the Gitga’at First Nation and Coastal First Nations. This decision ruled that the B.C. government has completely failed in its duty to consult with First Nations on the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project.   The court said it was not “reasonable or correct” for the province to sign over the enviro...

January 21, 2016

Union and ministry meet to discuss services to Aboriginal children and youth

Representatives of BCGEU met with Ministry of Children and Family Development representatives on Monday, January 18 to address systemic challenges in supporting Aboriginal children and youth. The meeting followed up on the union's report, Closing the circle: a case for reinvesting in Aboriginal child, youth and family services. The report, released in October, gave voice to members' concerns ab...

January 20, 2016

OHS Training in Kelowna Area

To all Labour Code OHS Committee Members in the Kelowna Area "Joint OHS Committee Training" will be held on Wednesday, February 24 and "Incident Investigations" will be held on Thursday, February 25. These courses will be held at the BCGEU office at 1064 Borden Ave, Kelowna from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm In the Joint OHS Committee Training course you will learn: Worker OHS rights, including the re...

January 20, 2016

OHS Committee Training in Vancouver

To all Direct Government OHS Committee Members in the Lower Mainland "Ergonomics" will be held on Tueday, February 16 and "Joint OHS Committee Course" will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb 23-24. These courses will be held at the BCGEU office at #130-2920 Virtual Way, Vancouver from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm In the Ergonomics course you will learn: Requirements of the ergonomics regulation H...

January 20, 2016

Downtown Eastside Women's Centre stewards' meeting - February 10, 2016

TIME: 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; refreshments at 5:30 p.m. PLACE: Vancouver Public Library, Morris J. Wosk Boardroom, 350 W.  Georgia Street, Vancouver  AGENDA This is an opportunity for members at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre and Union representatives to meet and discuss issues.  collective agreement issues workplace issues and concerns union advocacy and activity Please RSVP by ...