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COMPONENT 6 - SOCIAL, INFORMATION AND HEALTH

Component 6 primarily includes members work for the Government of B.C. in a variety of social, cultural, educational, information technology, research, health care delivery and associated direct technical support functions. Component 6 also includes members who perform services in these fields at employers contracted by the government.

NEWS & UPDATES

April 13, 2017

Local 0611 Election Results - BCGEU

Local 0611 Members: The elections for the positions of Local Chair and 2nd Vice Chair closed last night and your Balloting Committee met to count the ballots.  The results are as follows: We are pleased to announce Member Flint Keil was elected as your Local Chair and Member Katherine Marchand was elected as 2nd Vice Chair.  Congratulations to both! We want to take this opportunity to thank ...

April 13, 2017

VIDEO: Social workers demand better workplace conditions from B.C. government...

Dozens of Ministry of Children and Family Development employees came out to demand higher wages and proper training for B.C. social workers in Vancouver Tuesday. Employees’ main demands are that the government address wage concerns, a lack of backfill and proper training for frontline social workers in the ministry.   Read More...

April 13, 2017

Kids in care suffering due to low wages and lack of support for social worker...

Stressed, underpaid and overworked child protection staff are failing children in care, warns the union representing government workers in B.C. Social workers and representatives from the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) rallied at MLA Sam Sullivan's office Tuesday.   Read More... Listen to CBC Radio Audio....

April 13, 2017

MCFD staff rally in Downtown Vancouver to demand change - BCGEU

The union representing front-line workers with the Ministry of Children and Family Development says inadequate pay and chronic staffing challenges are causing children and youth to fall through the cracks.   Read More...

April 13, 2017

Social worker salaries, numbers need boost: union - BCGEU

Inadequate funding and staffing for children and family services are putting BC kids at risk, according to the province’s government employees union. Chanting “children first,” about 40 BC Government Service Employees Union (BCGEU) members and supporters gathered outside MLA Sam Sullivan’s Yaletown office in protest this afternoon.   Read More...

April 13, 2017

Training Day -Labour Code OHS Committee Reps - BCGEU

Did you know you are entitled to annual education leave totaling at least 8 hours? Did you also know your employer is required to support this training without loss of pay or other benefits? The employer must cover the costs of the training and any other reasonable costs to attend the course.  If you are unable to take the training yourself, you have the right to assign your 8 hour annual allot...

April 13, 2017

Rally in Maple Ridge over youth worker wages - BCGEU

Maple Ridge child and youth mental health workers and protection workerss skipped their lunch break Wednesdays and picked up picket signs to protest what they say are low wages, staff shortages and overwork. "Vulnerable children are falling through the cracks," said Doug Kinna, vice-president of social component of the B.C. Government Employees Union.   Read More...

April 13, 2017

Autism group says families in the dark about MCFD plan for service delivery -...

A new report by a B.C. autism group says families dealing with the disorder don’t have confidence the government can do a better job of providing services than non-profit groups.   Read More...

April 13, 2017

Quesnel Council Talks Marijuana - BCGEU

Quesnel City Council has begun the process of preparing for the legalization of marijuana.   Read More...

April 13, 2017

'Shocking' numbers of aboriginal children in care an 'embarrassment,' childre...

(March 2017 Article) The high numbers of aboriginal children being taken into foster care in B.C. is “shocking” and “an embarrassment to the community,” the province’s children’s representative says.     Read More...

April 13, 2017

Public Sector Benefits Update #2 - BCGEU

The BCGEU continues to monitor the impacts of the decision of the Government to change the benefit carrier for all public service employees to ensure your benefits are protected. As of April 1, Great West Life – GWL is now the benefit carrier for the BC Public Service.   Here are three issues we have addressed this week and we will update further as needed.   1.     Deductible   Members had rep...

April 13, 2017

Child care initiative leads to backlash - BCGEU

(March 2017 Article) Mayor’s initiative was created to encourage younger people to join municipal politics. A proposal to cover city councillor child care costs in the 2017-2021 budget has led to some public backlash for one councillor. Read More...

April 13, 2017

Youth in foster care should be nurtured and supported past the age of majorit...

(March 2017 Article) On February 7, Bernard Richard, Acting BC Representative for Children and Youth, released a report called Broken Promises, chronicling the heartbreaking story of Alex Gervais, a Métis teenager who had been in care since he was a child. In September 2015, Alex ended his life at age 18, jumping from the window of a budget hotel room in Abbotsford, where the Ministry of Child...

April 13, 2017

Kids’ lives are at stake, and B.C. needs to do better - BCGEU

(February 2017 Article) The B.C. legislature is back in session, and the state of our province’s child-welfare system has rocketed up the agenda after the latest in a long line of reports from B.C.’s office of the representative for children and youth.   Read More...

April 12, 2017

Big unions are big donors to NDP, but amenable to banning their contributions...

(February 2017 Article) Similar to big corporate donors to the B.C. Liberals, big unions are major contributors to the B.C. NDP.   Read More...

April 12, 2017

President Smith supports Sussanne Skidmore for Canadian Labour Congress VP - ...

www.sussanneskidmore.ca I am pleased and proud to support Sussanne Skidmore's candidacy for the position of Vice-President, Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). Sussanne is an established union leader, who began her social justice and labour activism more than a decade ago as a young worker. This makes her uniquely positioned to help evolve and grow the labour movement during increasingly complex...

April 12, 2017

Systems fail children as reports pile up - BCGEU

(January 2017 Article) The representative for children and youth’s office developed a custom over the years of including a tag line in the titles of special reports that sum up the horror story under discussion.   Read More...

April 12, 2017

Parents of toddler who died in Vancouver daycare accident call for more accou...

(January 2017 Article) The parents of a 16-month-old toddler who died in an accident at a Vancouver daycare this month are demanding an overhaul of B.C.’s child care system.   Read More...

April 11, 2017

Ministry of Children and Family Development workers demand implementation of...

What: Rally to support B.C.’s Children and Youth Who: Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) workers When: Wednesday April 12 at 12pm Where: MLA Doug Bing’s Constituency Office, 20130 Lougheed Highway, Maple Ridge. Why: The B.C. Government has refused to fund and implement several recommendations from Bob Plecas’ review of child welfare in B.C. (the Plecas report), including wa...

April 11, 2017

Public Sector Benefits Update - BCGEU

The BCGEU was not invited to participate in the decision to change benefit carriers, but we have monitored progress on your behalf to ensure your benefits are protected. We have been assured by government there is no change in coverage, and will continue to verify this is the case. The following are the three most common issues that members have raised regarding the transition from Pacific Blue...

April 07, 2017

Local 603 General Membership Meeting - BCGEU

COMPONENT:  6 – Social, Information & Health LOCAL:            603 DATE:              Thursday, April 20, 2017 TIME:               6:00 pm – General Membership Meeting PLACE:            Lower Mainland Area Office – Musqueam Room                          Suite #130 – 2920 Virtual Way, Vancouver       AGENDA Number of Local Positions Local Financial Status   PARKING INFORMATION: W...

April 07, 2017

Urgent Action: Forced Displacements in Cali, Colombia Forced Displacements Le...

For over sixty years, the Cauca River in Cali, Colombia has been home to thousands of residents who farm, run businesses and live along its banks (known as el Jarillón). Since October 2016, families in the Venecia Las Vegas neighbourhood of el Jarillón have been forcibly displaced and seen their houses torn down by the municipality of Cali to make way for a tourist walk way and cargo port. Now ...

April 03, 2017

Media Advisory: Ministry of Children and Family Development workers demand im...

What: Rally to support B.C.’s Children and Youth Who: Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) workers When: Tuesday April 4 at 12pm Where: MLA Sam Sullivan’s Constituency Office, 201-1168 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, B.C. Why: The B.C. Government has refused to fund and implement several recommendations from Bob Plecas’ review (the Plecas report) of child welfare in B.C. including...

March 31, 2017

The BC Government’s decision to siphon WCB surplus is a short-sighted strate...

The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union is disappointed by the short-sighted and dangerous decision by the BC government to siphon the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) Accident Fund and gift it to wealthy business owners. Hundreds of workers are dying every year due to unsafe working conditions. The WCB Accident Fund was created to prevent accidents, train and educate workers and empl...

March 31, 2017

The BCGEU invites members to celebrate the life of John Shields alongside his...

It is with a heavy heart that the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) staff and members learned of the passing of former BCGEU president John Shields on March 24. Shields served seven, two-year terms as BCGEU president between 1984 and 1999. For decades he was a champion of labour rights and his legacy can be found in every workplace in B.C. —in the improved working condition...

March 31, 2017

2017 public service salary grids are posted online - BCGEU

BCGEU members covered by the Public Service Agreement can now download the 2017 BCGEU Salary Grids in PDF format from the BCGEU web site. http://www.bcgeu.ca/sites/default/files/page/attachments/BCGEU_2017xApril2.pdf You can also access past and current salary grid files on the BCGEU web site. http://www.bcgeu.ca/collective-agreements Please note that this year, the salary grid file also incl...

March 30, 2017

Local 603/604 Probation Officer Q & A - Video/Telephone conference - BCGEU

The video conference meeting will be held jointly with Local 603. Judy Fox- McGuire, co-chair of the Ministry of Justice, Article 29 Committee will be joining us from our Fort St. John area office. We look forward to seeing you. When:       April 5, 2017 Time:        6:00 p.m. Place:        Fraser Valley Area Office – Chehalis Room                  8555 198A Street, Langley  If you are una...