NEWS & UPDATES
February 09, 2016
Throne speech: province to expand on Plecas’ recommendations, modernize commu...
The BCGEU is welcoming news the provincial government plans to implement and expand on the recommendations contained in the Plecas report on the Ministry for Children and Family Development. The news was announced in the throne speech this afternoon. Plecas’ report corroborated most of the findings and recommendations from BCGEU’s 2014 Choose Children report and concerns raised by B.C.'s Repres...
February 05, 2016
Well Being Services (CVSV) Ltd mediation stalled
Your bargaining committee met with the employer on February 4, 2016 to try to reach an agreement with the assistance of a mediator. Unfortunately, no agreement could be reached.
We have given the employer until end of day Tuesday, February 9, to provide an acceptable offer. If no response is forthcoming at that time, we will take the necessary steps to achieve a satisfactory tentative agreemen...
February 05, 2016
Promising practices in residential care
How can residential care be provided in ways that respect the needs of seniors, families, workers and managers? Join the BC Health Coalition and the CCPA at this free public forum to hear about ideas and concrete examples of promising practices found in Canada and other countries.
Monday February 22, 2016
Vancouver Public Library
Central Branch – Alice MacKay Room
350 W. Georgia St, Vancouver...
February 05, 2016
Important Information regarding Integrated Health for Northern Health Authori...
1. The employer served the union with notice this past summer of their intent to restructure the leadership within Northern Health and begin the transition to Integrated Health. Since that time, the union has continuously met with the employer regarding this transition. Although the employer has the right to make these changes, your union has challenged the implementation process at each ...
February 04, 2016
Join us on February 14 for the 26th annual Women's Memorial March – "Their Sp...
The annual February 14 Women's Memorial March was started in 1991 in Vancouver in response to the murder of a Coast Salish woman on Powell Street. Since then, marches have been held every year to honour the lives of missing and murdered women. Please join BCGEU president Stephanie Smith and fellow activists in supporting this women-organized, women-led event, to come together to grieve, to rem...
February 04, 2016
BCGEU signs First Nations Solidarity Accord opposing oil sands pipelines and...
First Nations/union alliance emerges in wake of Supreme Court ruling requiring BC government to make a decision on Northern Gateway pipeline and to consult with First Nations.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, COAST SALISH TERRITORY – (February 4, 2016) – The BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) signed a Solidarity Accord today, affirming its support of the Save the Fraser Declaratio...
February 04, 2016
BCGEU wishes members a happy Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year starts on Monday February 8. This marks the start of a fifteen day festival and holiday. Celebrations have started around the world as we say goodbye to the Year of the Sheep and hello to the year of the Fire Monkey.
"We wish our members and their families a very happy and prosperous Lunar New Year," says BCGEU President Stephanie Smith. "We wish you luck, good health and g...
February 04, 2016
BCGEU celebrates the 20th anniversary of Black History Month in Canada
The BCGEU joins Canadians to celebrate Black History Month this February, which marks the event’s 20th anniversary. Our federal government officially recognized Black History Month after passing a parliamentary motion introduced by the Honourable Jean Augustine, the first black Canadian woman elected to Parliament.
"This February, take some time to learn about black Canadians’ tremendous cont...
February 03, 2016
Submission to the Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and ...
On January 27 our union presented a submission to the Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
The foundation of public trust in government is transparency, accountability, and a consistently demonstrated respect for the rights of individuals. FIPPA is designed to protect and uphold these values; yet, public practice in information managemen...
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 28, 2016
Forensic Psychiatric Hospital - Join the BCGEU for a winter barbecue!
What: BCGEU Winter Barbecue
When: Friday February 5, 11am – 3pm
Where: Forensic Psychiatric Hospital parking lot
A bit of summer in February - BCGEU members at Forensic Psychiatric Hospital are invited to join us for a hot dog or a grilled hamburger/ veggie burger and all the fixings on Friday, February 5. Look for the BCGEU RV in the parking lot at Forensic Psychiatric Hospital from ...
January 27, 2016
Well-Being Services (Renfrew Care Centre) bargaining committee election results
We are pleased to announce that the following members have been elected as your Bargaining Committee:
Vince Lu, CHAIR
Ymelda Castillo
Carmelita Harnum
Your Committee will be convening shortly to develop proposals prior to meeting with the Employer.
We will continue to communicate with you as developments arise. Please feel free to direct any comments or questions to any member of the Ba...
January 27, 2016
BCGEU applauds Senior's Advocate Monitoring Seniors' Services report: the sys...
The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) welcomes the first exhaustive examination of the state of seniors' care in our province by the Seniors' Advocate of B.C. - Monitoring Seniors' Services. The report paints a picture of a system that is headed in the wrong direction.
In general, the report shows that for our province's many seniors, services are barely keeping pace with th...
January 25, 2016
Local 403 executive/general meeting - February 22, 2016
TIME: Executive meeting 6:00pm; Local 403 member meeting begins at 6:30 pm
PLACE: Lower Mainland Area Office – Auditorium A, Suite 130 – 2920 Virtual Way, Vancouver (corner of Renfrew and Broadway)
Agenda
Swearing in of New Member-At-Large
M2M / Member To Member Review
NUPGE Convention Resolutions
Download PDF of meeting notice and parking instructions here.
UNIFOR467/MoveUP
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
Marrion Village – Baptist Housing ratification results
The union is pleased to advise that your first collective agreement was accepted by a large majority.
The union would like to thank the committee for their hard work and dedication. We feel confident that this collective agreement will set the tone to move the workplace forward in a positive direction.
If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with your committee members Jeff McNa...
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
Well Being Services (CVSV) Ltd. bargaining update
Your bargaining committee met with the Employer again on January 20th and 21st, 2016. No progress was made and the parties have adjourned negotiations at this time. We will be applying for mediation assistance from the Labour Relations Board and will send another update once we have met with the mediator assigned. We anticipate this will happen over the next two weeks.
In solidarity
Salli Rye...
January 21, 2016
Broadmead Care Society benefits redesign
We would like to remind members that Broadmead Care Society's Participation Agreement with the BC Public Service Agency concerning the provision of benefits will be coming to an end in the coming months. Accordingly, pursuant to the attached Memorandum of Understanding, the parties will be entering into discussions regarding the benefit redesign, subject to the current cost of benefits as at Ma...
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 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...
BCGEU Headquarters is on the unceded and shared traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skxwú7mesh (Squamish) & Səlí̓ lwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.