Bargaining update: Progress on non-monetary issues; monetary proposals tabled

Dear BCGEU,

Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) committee continues to work hard at the table to deliver renewed collective agreements that reflect your priorities. 

After 29 days of bargaining with the Community Social Services Employers' Association (CSSEA), we've reached agreement on several key non-monetary improvements. These include: 

• Improved language on employer-led investigations and disciplinary meetings 
• Stronger provisions around health and safety including where there are health and safety related workload issues 
• A requirement for the employer to consult employees before permanent transfers 
• Stewards' email addresses to be provided to new employees 
• Changes to the expedited arbitration process 
• A commitment to renegotiate local issues after the renewal of main agreements 

We've also made progress on housekeeping and formatting changes, and updated outdated terms like "residential" to "residence" to better reflect the work and settings of our members. 

Discussions are ongoing on several important items including union meetings at worksites, technological change, harassment and bullying language, and leave provisions for casual employees. 

Monetary proposals

On October 3rd, we tabled our monetary proposals. This allows CSSEA to begin reviewing and costing our proposals during a brief scheduled pause in negotiations. We will resume non-monetary talks later this month and then shift our focus to monetary negotiations. 

In total, 15 more bargaining days (12 at the main table, three for Indigenous Services) are scheduled through the end of November. 

Indigenous Services (IS) bargaining update

The CSSBA and CSSEA Indigenous Services Bargaining Committees met on September 8 for their first joint session. It was a positive and productive start. We finalized and signed the Indigenous Services Gathering Protocols, reviewed joint committee work, and discussed shared priorities.

The next round of Indigenous Services bargaining is scheduled for October 22–24, where we'll begin substantive discussions.

We remain committed to negotiating agreements that improve your working conditions and reflect the essential work you do in communities across B.C. 

Community Bargaining Association (CBA) different from CSSBA

Finally, we wish to clarify that recent news about Community Bargaining Association (CBA) negotiations reaching an impasse and a strike vote being planned does not involve members in the social services sector. Instead, the CBA, in which the BCGEU is also the lead union, represents workers in the community health sector. You will be notified directly if CSSBA negotiations reach an impasse and informed of any subsequent steps.  

In solidarity, 

Your CSSBA Bargaining Committee 

UWU/MoveUP