We want to hear from you.

As we prepare for bargaining with Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, we're engaging in consultation with members to ensure that our bargaining proposals reflect your top priorities.

As part of our consultation process, we invite you to drop in to chat with your Bargaining Committee on February 14, 2024, at your work location in the boardroom during the lunch hour between 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Dates have not been set for the Bargaining Committee to meet to start preparing to negotiate your collective agreement. A critical component of proposal development is finding out what you would like to see changed, if anything. To assist in that process, we will send out an electronic survey shortly after this meeting in order to determine your key priorities.

In the interim, we thought it would be useful to set out the four stages of bargaining.

1. Pre-Bargaining or Preparation

We are currently in the pre-bargaining stage. It is during this stage that proposals are developed. But before that occurs, your bargaining committee must gather information by reviewing workplace issues, existing workplace policies or rules, changes to applicable law, and seeking member input. Member input ranges from surveys, meetings, individual feedback, or any other forums that are specific to the bargaining unit. Member input will be sought throughout the bargaining process.

2. Bargaining

Once the proposals have been developed, we will sit down with your Employer to exchange proposals and begin the process of negotiating a renewed collective agreement. The intention is to reach a tentative settlement which will be put to the members for a ratification vote. A tentative settlement is usually arrived at without the need for job action, however, that is not always the case. If negotiations reach impasse, members may need to exercise their right to strike to achieve their priorities. You will know well in advance should your bargaining committee feel it is necessary to obtain a strike vote; that decision will not be made without member input.

3. Voting and Ratification

Members are entitled to vote on a tentative settlement, which is why it's referred to as a "tentative" settlement. The terms of the settlement do not form the renewed collective agreement until ratified by the members. Once ratified, the terms and conditions contained in the in the tentative settlement are incorporated into the collective agreement and become legally binding on the Employer and Union and its members.

4. Post-Ratification/Bargaining

The collective agreement is amended to incorporate the agreed-to changes and signed off. The changes are typically effective upon ratification, not when the new collective agreement has been signed off and printed.

We will communicate regularly through bargaining bulletins, member meetings, and one-on-one conversations at each stage of the process.

If you know a BCGEU member who didn't receive this bulletin, please forward it to them. If you are a BCGEU member who didn't receive the bulletin directly, please update your email address with your Union by logging into the Member Portal here.

Do we bargain a wage roll over or engage in bargaining that goes beyond wages?

We want to make you aware of language in your current collective agreement that was negotiated in the last round of bargaining. This can be discussed at our February 14, 2024 meeting as well.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING #15 - Consideration of Wage Rollover

The parties acknowledge that a significant amount of time and effort has gone into the 2022 bargaining session, and that another fulsome review of the agreement and subsequent bargaining session may not be required after only 2 years. As a result, the parties will consider a wage rollover for one year in 2024. This MOU is not intended to bind either party to a wage rollover or prevent either party from requesting a full bargaining session in 2024. Rather, it is intended to document discussions around the time commitment involved in bargaining and potential efficiencies. A recommendation on whether or not to proceed with a wage rollover may be put forward by the Joint Labour Management Committee.

In solidarity,

Cherish Fairclough, Bargaining Committee Chair
Robert Pirot, Bargaining Committee Member
Sheila Knight, BCGEU Staff Representative

Download PDF of notice here 

UWU/MoveUP