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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, Indigenous services, and employment services, among others. With over 15,000 workers in the sector, BCGEU is the largest community social services union in B.C.

NEWS & UPDATES

February 29, 2016

Lower Mainland Purpose Society bargaining committee nominations and survey

Your current collective agreement with the Employer expires March 31, 2016. Negotiations between the parties will commence after a bargaining committee has been constituted. Attached, to this notice is a nomination form for the three (3) bargaining committee member positions and a bargaining survey for members to complete. Please note that the agreement restricts the composition of the committe...

February 29, 2016

Call for nominations for vacant local 302 Executive positions

Nominations are now open for following positions which are vacant on the Local 302 Executive: Recording Secretary  Member-at-Large  Equity Member-at-Large   The term is three years. The role of the Recording Secretary is as follows:  assists Local chairperson with responsibilities outlined above with the chair, sets meeting dates and develops agendas is responsible for all meeting ...

February 25, 2016

BC Budget 2016: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

The B.C. Liberal Government has delivered yet another of its “balanced” budgets, dressed in sleight-of-hand fiscal manoeuvering, ambiguous language, and cavalier comparisons to other provinces and jurisdictions. Sadly, and once again, the fiscal planning of our elected government puts in second place the essential public goods and services British Columbians require to lead prosperous, inclusi...

February 24, 2016

Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society Aboriginal Shelter - membershi...

The union wants to meet with you to go over the process, find out what your priorities are and answer any questions you may have about bargaining. Meeting Details: Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Time: 1:00 to 3:00 PM Place: VAFCS Aboriginal Shelter – 201 Central Street Refreshments will be provided. In Solidarity Selena Kongpreecha Staff Representative – Negotiations Download PDF of notic...

February 24, 2016

Salvation Army Centre of Hope bargaining update

The bargaining committee met with the Employer on February 18 and 19. We continue to negotiate each clause of your first collective agreement. We have agreed to a majority of our non-monetary items, and we have started to discuss a number of monetary items. We have five days of bargaining booked for April and continue to move forward with negotiations on your behalf. We thank you for your cont...

February 22, 2016

Boat Daycare Society tentative agreement reached

Your bargaining committee and the Employer have come to a tentative agreement.  The highlights of the new agreement include: A four year deal from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019 A 2.25% wage increase for 2016 & 2017 A 2.5% wage increase for 2018 & 2019 Improved language on Article 4 – Union Dues and Information Improved language on Article 6 – Time off for Union Business N...

February 22, 2016

Local 309 local executive update

I am pleased to announce the following changes to your Executive: Shauna Hegan has been acclaimed as Recording Secretary and, Jen Ready has been acclaimed as the Equity Worker Representative. I am sure that you will all join me in wishing them both well in their new positions. Your Local 309 Executive is as follows:   Michelle Davis            Chairperson   Brenda Zoobkoff        1st Vice C...

February 19, 2016

SFU Childcare Society results of the strike vote

Thank you to everyone who attended the Strike vote yesterday. Your Bargaining Committee is pleased to advise that we received a 98% vote in support. The committee will be meeting shortly and will be speaking with the Employer about next steps. In solidarity Patty Bates, Bargaining Committee Member Nita Pedersen, Bargaining Committee Member Shihla Shivji, Bargaining Committee Member Shannon...

February 17, 2016

Member Update - Budget 2016 Response

BCGEU president Stephanie Smith provides the union's response to the BC government's 2016 budget, which was introduced to the legislature on February 16, 2016.

February 17, 2016

BCGEU unionizes advocacy group Leadnow

Leadnow employees have organized to join the BCGEU. The organization works to promote democracy and social justice in Canada. It describes itself as: ‘an independent advocacy organization that runs campaigns on the major issues of our time, engages people in participatory decision-making, and organizes in communities across Canada.’ “We’re delighted to welcome Leadnow into the BCGEU family. T...

February 17, 2016

Strike at Island Crisis Care Society brings employer back to table

BCGEU members at the Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS) in Nanaimo are happy to announce that their three days of strike action last week were a great success. Thank you to the BCGEU members and members of other unions who joined the picket lines in solidarity. Support workers at the Nanaimo-area women’s shelter have been in protracted collective bargaining and were frustrated by ICCS’s refusal...

February 16, 2016

Increased funding for MCFD welcome news, investment overdue in other ministries

“We welcome the increased funding for the Ministry for Children and Family Development announced in today’s budget. Our union, and especially our frontline members, have worked hard to convince government that a significant increase is crucial for the ministry. Their concerns were detailed in the BCGEU report Choose Children, and these efforts have paid off. Additional frontline social workers,...

February 16, 2016

B.C. announces funding boost for children in government care

The B.C. government is moving to cut or eliminate medical services premiums for tens of thousands of British Columbians and boost funding for managing children in government care, policy files that have caused political headaches for a government facing re-election next year. Read more...

February 16, 2016

Island Crisis Care Society workers back on job

Island Crisis Care Society workers are back on the job, pending the outcome of continued negotiations over scheduling practices. Read more...

February 15, 2016

Duncan (Arcadian) Day Care Centre ratification of collective agreement

Good afternoon, The members have ratified a three (3) year agreement with the Employer. There are no changes to the language in the agreement.  There is an increase of wages over a three (3) year term:     September 1, 2016        1% increase     September 1, 2017        1% increase     September 1, 2018        1% increase The collective agreement expires on August 31, 2019.  In solidarit...

February 15, 2016

SFU Childcare Society strike vote notice

What: Strike Vote When: Thursday, February 18th from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Where: Best Western Coquitlam Inn Convention Centre (319 North Road, Coquitlam) As you are aware talks between the parties have come to impasse and we are asking members to support a Strike Vote. We look forward to seeing you there. In solidarity Patty Bates, Bargaining Committee Member Nita Pedersen, Bargaining Com...

February 15, 2016

McGregor Child Care Society bargaining nomination

We are now preparing for the upcoming round of collective bargaining. Nominations are now open for one (1) bargaining committee member to represent you at the bargaining table. The first step is to nominate 1 member to the bargaining committee. Nominations will close Wednesday, February 25, 2016. If you are interested please scan and email to [email protected], or fax your form to the attention...

February 12, 2016

Congratulations David Vipond!

Today is a day many thought would never happen: it is BCGEU Director David Vipond’s last day on the job before retirement. For those that don’t know David, he’s been one of the behind the scenes heroes of the BCGEU throughout the last 35 years, and it’s hard to imagine what the BCGEU will be like without him. David’s history with the BCGEU began as an member, working at the B.C. Liquor Dist...

February 12, 2016

New legislation won't mend B.C.'s frayed social safety net

Legislation introduced today by Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation Michele Stilwell is welcome and long overdue news. The changes will make it easier for some persons with disabilities to bypass the current long and overly complicated application process. By the government's own admission, only about 1,000 people will initially benefit from the change, mostly youth with develo...