Further to our call for nominations issued on January 18, 2018, BCGEU has received four (4) nominations for bargaining committee members. As per your collective agreement, there are two (2) positions available in the bargaining committee. 

Accordingly, an election will take place to elect two (2) members to sit on the Bargaining Committee, plus one (1) alternate member.You will be voting for two bargaining members. The two nominees with the highest number of votes will be elected to the bargaining committee; the person with the third highest number of votes will be named an alternate. 

The members nominated for a bargaining committee position are - in random order:

• Chloe Willes-Speakman;
• Emily Hoffpauir;
• Chad Carney-Leahy;
• Torrance Coste.

Each nominated member was given the opportunity to prepare a short biography for your consideration prior to voting. The submitted bios are attached, and copies will be provided during balloting. 

As per BCGEU election policy, the election is required to run thirty (30) days from the close of nominations, i.e. until March 21, 2018. However, we will attempt to shorten this election period by encouraging everyone to vote before the deadline. The bargaining unit indicated that they wanted this election to be shortened: the responsibility is on you! The election can be concluded sooner if everyone votes sooner!

Balloting will take place as follows: 

• Ballot box to be placed at Western Canada Wilderness Committee office in Vancouver for two work weeks (Monday February 26 - Friday March 9). Ballots can also be dropped off at the BCGEU Lower Mainland Area Office before March 21 ;
• WCWC Victoria - Ballot materials and instructions sent to members by mail, with self-addressed envelope to return ballots to BCGEU Lower Mainland Area Office.
  
  

Every BCGEU member at Western Canada Wilderness Committee is entitled to vote in these bargaining committee elections. In order to vote, BCGEU Members must have completed a yellow membership card. No card on file, no vote. 

If you have not completed a union membership card, please ask your steward, Aimee MacDonald for one. Please complete it and stick it in the ballot box when you vote.

Voting instructions are as follows:

1. Review the biographies and choose your two preferred candidates;
2. Mark your ballot clearly for two candidates of your choice. Any ballot with more than two people selected will be considered to be spoiled and not counted;
3. Place your ballot inside the small brown coin envelope;
4. Place the coin envelope in the declaration ballot envelope and seal it;
5. Fill out the information on the declaration ballot envelope. Make sure to sign the declaration envelope;
6. Place your declaration ballot envelope in the ballot box. Done!

BCGEU will proceed with a vote count once the election closes. BCGEU members from another worksite will conduct the count. 
In terms of tallying the vote, we begin by confirming that every person who voted is eligible, i.e. is a member of the Union and has completed a membership card. After this step, the coin envelopes will be removed from the declaration envelopes. Only when all coin envelopes have been removed will they be opened and counted. This is to ensure that everyone who voted is entitled to vote, but also to ensure that your vote remains confidential and no one can tell how you voted.
We will update you on election results after March 21 – but hopefully sooner! 

Thank you for your participation in this important election.

In solidarity,

Oliver Rohlfs 
BCGEU Staff Representative

Download PDF of notice here
Download PDF of bio for Torrance Coste here
Download PDF of bio for Emily Hoffpauir here
Download PDF of bio for Chloe Willes-Speakman here

UWU/MoveUP