Good afternoon everyone,

We have been monitoring the evolving COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation closely.

The role our ministry plays in supporting some of the most vulnerable people of British Columbia cannot be understated. It is our workforce that is critical to delivering essential services and ensuring that people who rely on us continue to receive the assistance they need.

The Union and the employer have been in constant communications during this evolving time, and it is recognized that this is a unique event that requires our cooperation and the collaboration of all of us.

The demands for services will continue to be high, and while we are eliminating as many non-essential tasks as possible, we will need a flexible response to keep up with intakes, phone calls and crisis requests. To meet these demands during this crisis, we will be reassigning some roles and individuals to critical duties as required. This could mean stream moves, or the reassignment of Adjudicators, Quality and Compliance Specialists and Community Integration Specialists.

Please note that any duties assigned to our included staff that go above their classification/pay grid will be compensated according to Article 27.4 - Substitution Pay. Any assignment of tasks in a lower pay grid will not result in any pay impacts and are not permanent.

Work is also underway to establish a roster of staff that will support our front-facing offices to stay open.

We are in unprecedented circumstances, and truly appreciate the flexibility and support our people continue to demonstrate in these challenging times.

Thank you,

Harbinder Gill
Article 29 BCGEU Co-Chair

Jonathan Dubé
Article 29 Employer Co-Chair

UWU/MoveUP