NEWS & UPDATES
May 17, 2018
Local 505 Interim Election Bulletin - BCGEU
The interim nomination period closed on May 15, 2018. Here is the result for the Local 505 Nominations:
Thomas Mikalishen was acclaimed as 2nd Vice-Chairperson
The BCGEU is holding elections for the following positions of the local 505 executive: Member-at-Large: Young Worker. Candidate statements are attached for those candidates who provided them:
Member-at-Large: Young Worker:
Josh BartlettT...
May 17, 2018
Coquitlam casino still behind pickets - BCGEU
After five days of job action, a labour dispute at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam does not appear to be ending anytime soon.
Great Canadian Gaming Corp. said in a statement Monday that it has been granted an order by the B.C. Labour Relations Board prohibiting striking workers from blocking entry to the property.
Read more...
UWU/MoveUP
May 17, 2018
GATEWAY CASINOS NEGOTIATIONS REACH AN IMPASSE - BCGEU
Talks between Gateway Casinos and members of the BC Government and Service Employees Union have broken off. On Tuesday morning, over a hundred employees of Gateway Casinos from Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, and Kamloops rallied in Kelowna to push for higher wages. Read more... UWU/MoveUP
May 17, 2018
CASINO WORKERS RALLY IN KELOWNA - BCGEU
Employees of Gateway Casinos from Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, and Kamloops gathered in Kelowna Tuesday morning to push for higher wages.
Negotiations between the company and the bargaining committee began back in January, but stopped abruptly in March, prompting Tuesday’s demonstration.
Read more...
UWU/MoveUP
May 17, 2018
Casino workers nearing strike? - BCGEU
A vocal group of employees from four of the Okanagan's largest casinos rallied in Kelowna this morning as their union headed back to the bargaining table. Approximately 1,400 employees of Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited (which operates Playtime Casino in Kelowna, Lake City Casino in Vernon, and Cascades Casinos in Penticton and Kamloops) are pressuring the company to pay them a living...
May 17, 2018
Casino workers press for wage hike - BCGEU
Gateway Casino workers will be rallying Tuesday for higher wages. Members of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union working at Gateway Casinos and Entertainment in Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon and Kamloops are calling on their employer to improve wages, benefits and working conditions as contract negotiations resume Tuesday. Read more... UWU/MoveUP
May 14, 2018
Gateway casino workers to rally for industry-standard wages as they resume ne...
KELOWNA, B.C., May 14, 2018 – Members of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) working at Gateway Casinos & Entertainment (Gateway) in Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and Kamloops will hold a rally and deliver a petition to their employer calling for improved wages, benefits and working conditions as contract negotiations resume tomorrow.
Contract negotiations broke off on Mar...
May 11, 2018
Hard Rock Casino workers strike for fairness - BCGEU
Strike kicks off with rally at Hard Rock
(Coquitlam, May 11, 2018) - Members of the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) working at Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam are walking off the job Friday morning, in their escalating efforts to get fair wages, benefits and respect at work.
Hundreds of workers and supporters will gather for a rally in front of the casino at 2073 Hartley Ave,...
May 10, 2018
BCGEU and BC Government exchange bargaining proposals - BCGEU
UPDATE #2:
The first week of public service bargaining wrapped up in Victoria after the BCGEU exchanged bargaining packages with the employer. Component agreement bargaining took place from April 23 – 27. Component agreements cover occupational terms and conditions. Issues unresolved at component bargaining tables were tabled at the main public service table, by agreement with the employer.
...
May 10, 2018
Who Decides for BC? - BCGEU
It's time to bring environmental decision-making back to the public interest.A Natural Resource Officer, tasked with stewarding our forests, without the tools needed to address forest practices until it is too late. An ecologist with serious concerns that an industry-paid biologist's plans will compromise the proper functioning of a stream's ecosystem, and no forum to stop it. These are just tw...
May 10, 2018
Canadian companies dominate global marijuana trade, says report - BCGEU
Canada's rapidly growing cannabis industry now dominates the global trade in legal marijuana, says a report from a Washington, D. C., data analytics firm. The companies that are frantically building growing facilities to supply Canadians with marijuana are also in a unique position to sell their products and expertise around the world, says the report from New Frontier Data. The independent res...
May 08, 2018
Public service bargaining commences in Victoria - BCGEU
UPDATE #1
Bargaining representatives from the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) and the B.C. Government Public Service Agency (BC PSA) are meeting today in Victoria to exchange bargaining proposals and begin four weeks of negotiations to achieve a new collective agreement.
"We're pleased to begin the bargaining process early," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "It gives...
May 07, 2018
It's time to reinvest in the services that support British Columbians - BCGEU
BURNABY – Today, and in the weeks ahead, the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) will begin negotiating new contracts for more than 53,000 members in the public service, health sectors and community social services.
"We're ready," says BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "Beginning negotiations today gives us the time we need to address long-standing issues we've been raising wit...
May 07, 2018
BCGEU observes North American Occupational Safety and Health Week - BCGEU
The BC Government and Service Employees' Union joins occupational health and safety advocates and governments across the continent in observing North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH), which is observed from May 6-12 and will be commemorated in events across North America.
NAOSH Week was first launched in 1997, after the government of Canada, United States and Mexico signed a...
May 04, 2018
Ratification Vote for Members of VSA Highway Maintenance – Service Area 14 - ...
We are pleased to advise you that your bargaining committee has reached a tentative agreement for a new collective agreement in your area. The new collective agreement, which is subject to ratification by the membership, is for the collective agreement that takes effect July 1, 2019.
We are required by the BC Government to ratify your collective agreement in order for successorship to be includ...
May 02, 2018
Bargaining and LDB Article 29 - BCGEU
Component Bargaining is set for this week, April 30 – May 4, 2018. Your Bargaining Committee will be working hard this week to negotiate better terms for your Component Agreement. Following Component bargaining, your Component VP, Kusam Doal, will be sitting with the Public Service Master Bargaining Committee to negotiate improvements to the Public Service Master Agreement. Bargaining is schedu...
May 01, 2018
Pension Plan estimator now online, but doesn’t show the full picture - BCGEU
As of May 1, the Public Service Pension Plan's online pension estimator will be available to pension plan members. However, the Pension Plan web site says that "the estimator will not yet calculate the past service enhancement that comes into effect October 1, 2019." This means that when you log in to estimate your pension under the new rules, you won't be getting a complete estimate of your li...
April 30, 2018
Provincial Magazine – Spring 2018 - BCGEU
The digital version of the Spring 2018 issue of The Provincial is available to download online. In this issue:
BC Budget 2018
BC Cannabis retail program
Public Service Pension Plan changes
Community Social Services bargaining
Affordable BC campaign
Organizing news
Events and more…
Download the Spring 2018 issue (PDF)
UWU/MoveUP
April 26, 2018
New conservation officers provide greater protection for B.C. environment - B...
The swearing in of new conservation officers on the steps of the B.C. legislature demonstrates a commitment by the B.C. government to increase protection for our natural environment, the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) said today.
"The B.C. government's commitment to hire new conservation officers is good news that will ensure higher levels of compliance and enforcement with ...
April 25, 2018
Message from BCGEU vice president of administrative services component Maria ...
The best laid plans … often go awry. We administrative professionals are great organizers and planners, aren't we? That's why, as your vice president for administrative services at the BCGEU, Administrative Services Day is never far from my mind. This is the day we recognize the valuable and vital service we in the BCGEU's Administrative Services Component provide to British Columbians and thei...
April 24, 2018
Shop Stewards at LDB Warehouse (Local 0503) - BCGEU
The shop stewards in the BCLDB VDC Warehouse are below:
VDC Warehouse – Day shift
Sukhwinder Chib
Aman Kambo
Raman Rattan
Mitchell Cadlick
VDC Warehouse – Afternoon shift
Harbinder Singh
Erica Cardarelli
Keith Stone
VDC Warehouse – Graveyard shift
Paul Brown
Danny Chow
Francis DaSilva
In solidarity Fateh Born, Staff RepresentativeDownload PDF of notice here
UWU/MoveUP
April 24, 2018
BCGEU’s telephone town hall on Public Service Pension Plan changes - BCGEU
On Tuesday, April 10th we hosted a telephone town hall from the Victoria Area Office to talk with members about the changes to the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) that were implemented April 1, 2018. We were joined in the VAO by representatives from the BC Pension Corporation and the Pension Secretariat. This bulletin summarizes some of the key points that came up during the town hall and pr...
April 24, 2018
REVISED - Election of Tip Committee for River Rock Casino - BCGEU
Tip Committee elections for Casino Operations will be held from April 23 to April 28, 2018. The Tip Committee election for the guest services department will be held from April 30 to May 3, 2018.
Balloting will take place in the break room. Balloting will be by department, meaning that each department will vote for their own tip committee representative (i.e. table games will vote for table gam...
April 23, 2018
Celebrating Medical Laboratory Professionals Week: April 22-28 - BCGEU
Please join us this week in celebrating medical laboratory professionals!
Medical laboratory professionals are highly trained health care professionals who provide laboratory test results required for the prevention, detection and treatment of illness and disease. When physicians and other health care providers are looking for answers, they depend on laboratory test results to accurately diagn...
April 23, 2018
Family Event – Miner's Memorial in Cumberland - BCGEU
This year Miners Memorial at Cumberland is going to be a huge event for union members. It is unfortunate that we were unable to secure Miracle Beach for the annual family picnic and so in lieu of that, we are encouraging members and their families to attend the BBQ dinner and other festivities on Saturday June 23rd. Go to https://minersmemorial.ca/ to get a rundown of events. The best part is f...
April 20, 2018
MSDPR’s Acceptance of Ombudsperson’s Holding Pattern Report Is a Major Victor...
The BCGEU applauds the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction's (MSDPR) willingness to accept most of the recommendations of B.C.'s Ombudsperson Jay Chalke's special report Holding Pattern: Call Wait Times for Income and Disability Assistance.
"We're pleased that the new government has acknowledged the long-standing problems surrounding the MSDPR centralized phone line and is comm...
April 20, 2018
BCGEU partners with SumOfUs on improving corporate responsibility through inv...
The BCGEU is leading the way in the labour movement when it comes to responsible investing. Ahead of the 2015 global oil price crash, the union divested its strike fund and general reserves from fossil fuel equities and not only preserved, but increased the value of its holdings. Now, the BCGEU has partnered with non-profit organization SumOfUs to advocate for greater corporate responsibility a...
April 19, 2018
Welcome to Your Union: A New Resource Guide for BCGEU Members
Introducing BCGEU's brand-new member guide! Welcome to Your Union is a compact yet informative guide, written for all BCGEU members, whether new to the union or not.
The guide outlines key information members need to get the most out of union membership such as educational opportunities, ways to get more involved, the role of shop stewards and the right to workplace safety.
It also describes t...
April 19, 2018
REVISED - Local 509 Executive & Stewards - BCGEU
Further to the recent elections for both Stewards and your Local 509 Executive, the results are as follows:
Stewards
Castlegar:
Nakusp:
Trail:
Kerrie Abietkoff
Deborah Godtmark
Tammy Issel
Judy Keus
Nelson:
Grand Forks:
Heather Lippert
Mona Parsons
Cathy Prive
Kaslo:
Ana Treijs
Rose-Blanche Hudon
Rossland:
Denise Kyler-Funk
Anne Evans
If you have any questions...
April 16, 2018
Honouring killed and injured workers on Day of Mourning – April 28 - BCGEU
In 2017, 158 workers lost their lives to workplace injury or disease. Please join us in honouring their memory on the Day of Mourning, April 28.
Many BCGEU members will be attending Day of Mourning events in communities around our province. Some members will be there to honour and remember their co-workers and family members. Many will be there to show solidarity and empathy for those who have ...
April 16, 2018
Nomination results for your Local Executive - BCGEU
We want to take this opportunity to advise and congratulate Sydney Rickaby (Local 0511/10/06 2nd Vice Chair) and Dianne Lane (Local 0511/10/06 Recording Secretary) on their new positions. Your Executive with the results are as follows: Chair Ellen Nicholson 1st Vice Chair Michelle Tott 2nd Vice Chair Sydney Rickaby Secretary Treasurer VACANT Recording Secretary Dianne Lane Member-At-Large (Area...
April 13, 2018
Government to Recognize PTSD & Mental Health Claims for First Responders: Cor...
The BCGEU welcomes the provincial government's announcement that first responders including Sheriffs and Correctional Officers will receive greater access to mental health support.
On Wednesday, BC Labour Minister Harry Bains announced amendments to the Workers Compensation Act. These amendments -- called a presumptive clause -- will be introduced this week and, if approved by the legislature,...
April 13, 2018
Government action for renters and tenants a welcome relief in middle of housi...
VANCOUVER –
This week the government of British Columbia announced new initiatives to strengthen protections for renters. BCGEU welcomes these long overdue changes, and applauds the government for continuing to take initiative on the housing file.
"Increasing protections for those facing eviction is an important step in making B.C. more affordable for renters," noted BCGEU president Stephanie S...
April 12, 2018
BCGEU and B.C. Government to begin bargaining new contract for members in the...
The BCGEU has accepted an offer from the B.C. Government to begin negotiations aimed at concluding a new collective agreement with members in the B.C. public service.
The existing contract between the BCGEU and the B.C. Government expires on March 31, 2019. It covers roughly 27,000 employees in the public service around the province.
"We're pleased to begin the bargaining process now," said BCG...