Bargaining update

Your community social services negotiating committee was back at the bargaining table last week.  We continued to work through a number of significant items, including further discussions on the monetary priorities put forward by community social service workers from all three sub-sectors- Community Living Services, General Services and Indigenous Services.

Discussions around compensation and wages at the bargaining table have been challenging. We continue to remain focused on advancing the priorities of members from all unions from the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) including equitable wages and improved working conditions.

We are taking a scheduled break from the bargaining table but have more meeting dates scheduled over the summer. We are still in active negotiations and continue to move forward on the issues you have identified as priorities.  

Essential services negotiations are underway

Everyone’s job is important. But under the BC Labour Relations Code, some work can be designated as ‘essential’. This is different from when the government determined what jobs were essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deciding what work is essential is a standard part of the bargaining process and it is done in a way that ensures the safety of you and your clients while identifying the minimum level of work that is required to do so in the event of a job action.

This does not necessarily mean that we will take job action, but this is part of how we are preparing for any scenario for you and your co-workers. 

The process of identifying essential services levels is done through negotiations between designated union representatives and employer representatives in a clearly defined process. If you are being approached by your employer to sign-off on anything or discuss essential services, please advise your employer that you're not authorized to sign-off and talk to your shop steward or someone from your bargaining committee.

Section 72(2) of the Labour Relations Code defines essential services as “facilities, productions and services” that are “necessary or essential to prevent immediate and serious danger to the health, safety or welfare of the residents of British Columbia.” 
 
There is a provincial CSSBA Essential Services committee with representatives from each union who will coordinate essential services negotiations for their union. Each of these representatives will receive the proposals from the employers and then coordinate and distribute to the local union representatives. The committee then reports to the Lead Negotiator of the CSSBA Negotiating Committee, and they will ensure that the negotiating committee is informed and up to date on the progress of essential services negotiations. 
 
Here is the CSSBA Essential Services committee:
 
BCGEU – Shelly Appleton and Deb Wilson
CUPE – Michael Reed and Sheryl Burns
HEU – Robbin Knox and Christina Lloyd Jones
HSA – Colin Brehaut
CSWU – Shelley Moore
CLAC – Aleasha Wegner
USW – Marty Gibbons
BCNU – Carolin Bleich and David Ling
 

Sign up/sign up your coworkers

For community social services, we are still actively at the negotiating table and our bargaining process is ongoing. However, you may have heard that there are other bargaining tables that have already taken a strike vote. Solidarity is a key value of the union movement and although we continue to have positive, but challenging negotiations, we also support other members of the public sector who may be at different stages of the bargaining process. 

We will continue to keep you informed every step of the way, which is why it is so important that we have your up-to-date contact information including your personal email and phone number, so make sure your shop steward or your union local has your contact information.

We’re asking all members to update your contact information in the Member Portal. If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today.

Already have a Member Portal account? You can log in here. If you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset it here. It’s more important than ever to make sure that our union has your up-to-date contact information including your personal email and phone number.

Please check with your coworkers to make sure they are also receiving these email updates and to please share this bulletin with them.                                                                                                                      

In solidarity,
 
Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) Negotiating Committee


UWU/MoveUP

Have you heard the news? Your fellow BCGEU members in the Public Service voted 94.6% in favour of striking for a fair collective agreement that includes cost-of-living-adjustments. Here’s how this affects you:
 
Members directly employed by the Government of B.C. took a strike vote to push their employer, the Public Service Agency (PSA), to improve their disappointing wage offer and come back with a fair proposal. As the vote wrapped up – before we even knew the results – their employer asked the union’s bargaining committee to return to negotiations. 
 
Just by voting, your fellow members sent a strong message to their employer. Today they amplified that message, and made it clear they’re united in their commitment to negotiate fair wages. They are now in a strong position to get a fair deal, and this is good news for you because the public service is the largest sectoral bargaining unit in the province and can set a strong precedent for other sectors like yours.
 
A win for the public service is a win for you. 
 
Am I going on strike? 
No, your bargaining unit is not going on strike. The strike vote does not apply to your bargaining unit, only to the 33,000 members in the Public Service (direct government services in Components 1, 5, 6, 12 and 20).
 
Are public service members going on strike? 
Not immediately. This will depend on their employer’s position when they return to the bargaining table. Depending on that, BCGEU public service members may have to action the strike vote. Don't worry – we will provide updates when we know more. 
 
Many of you work alongside these members, we all depend on the services they provide, so your union will tell you ahead of time if there will be any job action.
 
Make sure to keep up-to-date with updates from your bargaining committee to find out actions you can take to help them apply pressure at the bargaining table. If they’re feeling the strength of our solidarity from all sides, they cannot ignore us. 
 
In Solidarity,
 
Stephanie Smith
BCGEU President 

UWU/MoveUP

Community social services bargaining is on a scheduled break this week and will resume next week at the bargaining table. 
 
Before the break, your bargaining committee started to talk about monetary priorities with the employers' representatives. We expect those discussions to continue when bargaining resumes.
 
Your bargaining committee is bringing forward the priorities of members and is working hard to make gains at the table. We are focused on achieving equitable wages and improving the working conditions for the 17,000 unionized community social services workers.
 
We know that the bargaining process can be challenging to navigate. That is why we have developed the infographic below to give you a visual guide to the bargaining process and to see where in that process we are right now.

Download a PDF of the Collective Bargaining 101 infographic here

Your bargaining committee has been hard at work at the negotiations table with the employers' association ensuring that your priorities are heard. We are taking a break from negotiations and have scheduled our next round of talks for the week of June 20^th. 

We wanted to share a few key updates with you about the bargaining process and answer a few frequently asked questions.

What is the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA), and the Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA)? 

The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) represents unionized workers in the community social services sector, and the Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA) represents the employers.

The CSSBA Negotiating Committee is the bargaining committee and is made up of union members and representatives of nine unions. The negotiating committee is tasked with negotiating new terms of a collective agreement for over 17,000 unionized community social services workers employed in every community across the province. The CSSBA Negotiating Committee sits across the table with the CSSEA bargaining committee, which represents over 200 community social services employers across the province.

Who is covered by the CSS Main Agreement?

Within the community social services sector, there are three subsectors - Indigenous Services, General Services and Community Living Services. Improvements to all three collective agreements are negotiated at the main Community Social Services bargaining table. Workers that are covered under the Indigenous Services agreement have unique and specific concerns and needs. In recognition of this, negotiations for the Indigenous Services agreement are underway at a separate and concurrent bargaining table as the main Community Social Services bargaining table.
 
The collective agreements for all three subsectors expired on March 31^st, 2022. Terms and conditions of the agreements continue until new agreements are ratified. Bargaining commenced in February.
 
What is happening right now at the bargaining table?

The CSSBA Negotiating Committee and the CSSEA bargaining committee recently started to discuss monetary priorities. These are items that have a dollar value and are costed against a "total compensation envelope" that has been approved by the BC Government and presented to the CSSBA Negotiating Committee by the CSSEA bargaining committee. We are working hard to make gains at the table. The CSSBA Negotiating Committee has a difficult task ahead to achieve a tentative deal that the majority of the 17,000 in the province will ratify.
 
Bargaining is ongoing and we are back at the table the week of June 20^th. 
 
What are 'essential services'?

Everyone's job is important. But under the Labour Code, some jobs can be designated as 'essential'. Deciding which jobs are designated essential is a standard part of the bargaining process. It's done through negotiations between union representatives and employer representatives.
 
Section 72(2) of the Labour Relations Code defines essential services as "facilities, productions and services" that are "necessary or essential to prevent immediate and serious danger to the health, safety or welfare of the residents of British Columbia." It is important to understand that essential services negotiated under the Labour Relations Code for the purposes of job action are not the same as the essential services designated during the COVID-19 pandemic for temporary pandemic pay. 

For our bargaining process, essential services negotiations will start soon. 
 
Should I help my employer with setting essential services levels right now?

No. There is an established process and timeline in place for determining essential services.
 
The first step in the process is for the employers to provide the union(s) with their proposed essential services levels for the community social services sector. The union will then be in a position to decide which ones we agree with, and which ones we will challenge. The unions should not work with employers to set essential services levels at this time.
 
There is a provincial CSSBA Essential Services committee with representatives from each union who will coordinate essential services negotiations for their union.
 
The CSSBA Essential Services committee are as follows:
 
BCGEU   -  Shelly Appleton and Deb Wilson
CUPE     -  Michael Reed
HEU       -  Robbin Knox and Christina Lloyd Jones
HSA       -  Colin Brehaut
CSWU    -  Shelley Moore
CLAC     -  Aleasha Wegner
USW      -  Marty Gibbons
BCNU     -  Carolin Bleich and David Ling
 
The committee will assist with the coordination of essential services on behalf of the bargaining association with CSSEA's essential services coordinating committee. 
 
Each union representative on the CSSBA Essential Services committee will receive the employers' proposals on essential service levels. They will then coordinate with and distribute to the local union representatives. Members should not engage with their employers on essential services levels at their worksites. 
 
This provincial essential services committee reports to the Lead Negotiator of the CSSBA Negotiating Committee and they will ensure that CSSBA Negotiating Committee remains informed and up to date on the progress of essential services negotiations.

I have heard that we are taking a strike vote, is this true?

No. Right now, there are other union members from other public sector bargaining tables are at a different stage in their bargaining process and are taking a strike vote. The CSSBA Negotiating Committee representing members covered under the Community Social Services collective agreements are still at the bargaining table and have not called for a strike vote. Many of us work with other public sector workers, and we may hear information about other public sector bargaining tables. It is important that you stay informed about what is happening in community social services and that you receive communications from your negotiating committee.
 
Where are we in the process now?

We are still at the negotiating table and continue to meet with representatives from the employers' association. The bargaining process begins and ends with you- your ideas and your vote. We will continue to keep you informed every step of the way, which is why it is so important that we have your up-to-date contact information including your personal email and phone number, so make sure your shop steward or your union local has your contact information.
 
We're asking all members to update your contact information in the Member Portal. If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today.

Already have a Member Portal account?

You can log in here. If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it here. It's more important than ever to make sure that our union has your up-to-date contact information including your personal email and phone number.
 
Please check with your coworkers to make sure they are also receiving these email updates and share this bulletin with them.

In solidarity,

Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) Negotiating Committee
 




 
 
 

Your community social services (CSS) negotiating committee is back at the bargaining table and we have begun to discuss monetary priorities with the employers' association.

Our monetary package was thoughtful and reflective of the priorities identified for the CSS negotiating committee. During the first two years of the pandemic, community social service workers were there and are still there supporting children, families, and individuals in our communities across the province that have needed us the most.

Our bargaining priorities reflect the values that we bring to the work that we do. Our package includes mental health supports, more accessible and affordable services to people who need them.

We want to create safe and healthy workspaces, including training and language in our collective agreements that recognize diversity and is inclusive.

We are also pushing for meaningful and tangible Indigenous recognition and reconciliation to be reflected in our Indigenous Services subsector agreement, and for all Indigenous workers across all three subsector agreements, including Community Living Services and General Services.

We are working hard to re-establish professionalism for the sector. In 2004, the community social services collective agreements were under attack by the BC Liberals and were stripped of wages and entitlements through threat of job loss and re-tendering service contracts to the lowest bidder. Members who remained in the sector have never forgotten the impact of this change and what was lost. In every round of bargaining since, members have fought to restore what was taken and make meaningful gains to reflect the value of our work to our communities. We deserve to be recognized as professionals and compensated at the same level as other public sector workers who do the same or similar work.

Your bargaining committee is united, and we stand together while we push forward our members' priorities. We are prepared to have challenging conversations at the table in order to reach a tentative agreement that is reflective of these priorities.

The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (the CSSBA) represents more than 17,000 workers in your sector from ten unions including BCGEU, CUPE, HEU, HSA, LiUNA 1611, CSWU, CLAC, USW 1-417, UFCW and BCNU. Your committee is negotiating agreements for workers in Community Living Services, General Services and Indigenous Services sub-sectors. A collective agreement outlines the terms and conditions of your employment including wages, benefits, and working conditions, including your rights as a union member.

As we continue the bargaining process, you can expect to hear from us with updates and what will come next in the process. Your bargaining committee is continuing to meet with the employers' representatives this week, and have dates set up for later this month.

Remember: 
We're asking all members to update your contact information in the Member Portal. If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today.

Already have a Member Portal account? You can log in here. If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it here. It's more important than ever to make sure that our union has your up-to-date contact information including your personal email and phone number.

Please check with your coworkers to make sure they are also receiving these email updates and share this bulletin with them.

In solidarity,

Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) Negotiating Committee

 

Members of the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA)
 
 

UWU/MoveUP

Community social services bargaining will resume next week, starting May 16th after a scheduled break. Your bargaining committee will continue to discuss the issues that you have identified as priorities at the negotiating table with employer representatives.

Your bargaining committee has been negotiating your new community social services sectoral collective agreement representing more than 17,000 workers in your sector from ten unions including BCGEU, CUPE, HEU, HSA, LiUNA 1611, CSWU, CLAC, USW 1-417, UFCW and BCNU.  Your committee is negotiating agreements for workers in Community Living Services, General Services and Indigenous Services sub-sectors.  A collective agreement outlines the terms and conditions of your employment including wages, benefits, and working conditions, including your rights as a union member.

Workers in community social services have gone above and beyond during the pandemic – providing quality child care, and support for people with disabilities, new Canadians, youths at risk, Indigenous families, individuals facing family violence and many others. 

That’s why we are back at the table and will continue to discuss the priorities that you identified to help address systemic issues in the community social services sector so that you can do your job safely and support your community.
 
As we continue the bargaining process next week, you can expect to hear from us with key updates and what will come next in the process.

Remember: 

We’re asking all members to update your contact information in the Member Portal. If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today.

Already have a Member Portal account? You can log in here. If you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset it here. It’s more important than ever to make sure that our union has your up-to-date contact information including your personal email and phone number.

Please check with your coworkers to make sure they are also receiving these email updates and share this bulletin with them.

In solidarity,

Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) Negotiating Committee






UWU/MoveUP

Your Community Social Services bargaining committee is back at the table with the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) this week for scheduled negotiations until April 8th.

You may have noticed that April 1st, 2022, marked the expiry of the collective agreements for the General Services, Indigenous Services and Community Living Services.  The collective agreement is a negotiated contract that spells out your terms and conditions of your employment and your rights as a union member. 

As both sides are continuing the bargaining process for your new collective agreement, the terms and conditions of the recently expired agreement are still in effect.  This means it is business as usual for you and your coworkers, including local issues bargaining,unless you hear otherwise from your union. There are many stages of the bargaining process, and right now, your bargaining committee is still at the negotiating table. 

Your bargaining committee has been engaged in interest-based bargaining, which is a new and unique process to the sector. It is a time-intensive process that involves providing detailed explanations of the issues that workers are facing in the sector before the exchange of proposals. We are sharing real-life examples to highlight the need for change and strengthen our hand at the bargaining table, and we are working toward a new agreement that is fair and just. 

Due to commitments by both parties, we will have a scheduled break in talks at the end of this week and will be back at the table by mid-May. 

Important: Is your contact information up to date?

Now is a great time to make sure we have your updated contact information.  

Click here to visit the BCGEU member portal to review and update your contact information. If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it here. If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today. 

It’s important that we have your personal email address and personal cell phone number. Please check with your coworkers to make sure they are also receiving these email updates and share them.

In solidarity, 

Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) Negotiating Committee

UWU/MoveUP

Right now, your bargaining committee is hard at work on your new collective agreement.  

Negotiating decent work terms and conditions is a key part of the work that we do together at a union. Community social services collective agreements cover a wide variety of issues including wages, employment benefit plans, health and safety, protection from discrimination and harassment, and much more.

Within the community social services sector, there are three sub-sectors- Indigenous Services, General Services and Community Living Services.

You may have noticed that April 1st, 2022, marked the expiry of your collective agreement. 

As both sides are continuing the bargaining process for your new collective agreement, the terms and conditions of the recently expired agreement are still in effect.  This means it is business as usual for you and your coworkers, including local issues bargaining, unless you hear otherwise from your union. There are many stages of the bargaining process, and right now, your bargaining committee is still at the negotiating table. 
 
Workers that are covered under the Indigenous Services agreement have unique and specific concerns and needs. In recognition of this, negotiations for the Indigenous Services agreement are underway right now at a separate and concurrent bargaining table as the broader Community Social Services bargaining table.

Your bargaining committee is bringing forward all the issues and priorities that you identified in member surveys, engagement opportunities and the bargaining conference, which had participation from a representative from every Indigenous Services agency.

Bargaining the main table for the three collective agreements will continue this week until April 8th. Bargaining for Indigenous Services will continue with dates throughout April. We will be taking a scheduled break in negotiations and will resume in mid-May. As negotiations continue, we will continue to communicate with you to keep you informed. 

Important: Is your contact information up to date?
 
Now is a great time to make sure we have your updated contact information. We're asking all members to update your contact information in the Member Portal.
 
Click here to visit the BCGEU member portal to review and update your contact information. If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it here. If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today. 

It’s important that we have your personal email address and personal cell phone number. Please check with your coworkers to make sure they are also receiving these email updates and share them.

In solidarity,

Your Indigenous Services Bargaining Committee

Andrea Duncan, C3 Vice President, Chair of Bargaining Committee
Patricia Phillips, Co-Chair
Melissa Linn
James Coccola, Executive Vice-President
Selena Kongpreecha, Lead spokesperson

UWU/MoveUP

Right now, your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) is at the bargaining table working toward a new collective agreement for you and 17,000 other workers in employed in community social services across the province. Your contract expires on March 31st.

Bargaining can be a long and complex process. To help you better understand all of the steps involved, we've made a video to help explain the process. 

The video features members of your bargaining committee and is indexed by topic, so that each link that goes directly to the start of each individual topic: 

• Determining bargaining priorities
• At the Bargaining Table
• Reaching Impasse: Escalation and Job Action
• Voting on a tentative agreement
• A Deal is Reached

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxtyuGXjjqE



Bargaining a new collective agreement always begins and ends with you.  Your ideas and your vote.

And please, it’s critical for your bargaining committee to be able to communicate with you so now is a great time to make sure we have your updated contact information. Log in to update your information here. It’s important that we have your personal email address and personal cell phone number.  Please check with your coworkers to make sure they are also receiving these email updates and share them.
 
Your bargaining committee will continue updating you as bargaining proceeds and will keep you informed every step of the way.

In solidarity,

Your BCGEU Community Social Services Bargaining Committee

Andrea Duncan, Vice-President Component 3, Chair of Negotiating Committee, 303
Kari Bepple, Co-Chair, General Services, 305
Pamela Pye, Co-Chair, Community Living Services, 303
Patricia Phillips, Co-Chair, Indigenous Services, 303
Angela Reed, 305
April Duffield, 304
Brian Calderwood, 301
Jessica Daignealt, 304
Katelynn Banky, 301
Laurel Nielsen, 312
Lois Higgins, 302
Melissa Linn, 312
Rene Francis, 311
Tammy Lewis, 304
Wynn Hartfelder, 307
Selena Kongpreecha, Lead Spokesperson
James Coccola, Executive Vice-President


UWU/MoveUP