As bargaining begins today, your bargaining committee, along with representatives from all nine unions in the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA), met to align priorities and finalize the bargaining package ahead of the first day of negotiations with the Health Employers' Association of British Columbia (HEABC) on February 21. 

During the meeting, committee members discussed the bargaining demands submitted from each of the unions in the association and finalized the foundation of a package that aims to deliver meaningful gains at the bargaining table. 

The key priorities for members included fair wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living, strengthening workplace safety measures, improving various paid leave provisions, increasing premiums and differentials, and various collective agreement language improvements to enhance member rights in the workplace. 

The committee also reaffirmed its support for wage grid adjustments based on the findings from the 2023-2024 wage comparability review that was undertaken by representatives of government, health employers and the FBA. In the last round of bargaining, the FBA negotiated a wage comparability process to address the impact of the BC Liberal wage rollbacks of 2004 that primarily targeted women and racialized workers. 

The multi-union FBA includes the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU) as the lead union, along with BCGEU and seven other unions: International Union of Operating Engineers Local No. 882; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 230; BC Nurses' Union; United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local No. 1598; United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada Local No. 324; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Local No. 138; and Public and Private Workers of Canada Local No. 5. 

In other bargaining news, the BCGEU has developed an information hub for members where significant bargaining updates will be posted. The site has six sections-one for each sector-as well as education materials and profiles of your bargaining committee.

In solidarity, 

Your BCGEU FBA Bargaining Committee 

Mahen Ramdharry, Local 403, bargaining chairperson 
Richard Ziemianski, Local 401
Micheil Bryson, Local 401
Sandy Barndt, Local 403
Jennifer Marquez, Local 403
Marzena Motz, Local 412
Angela Mahlmann, Negotiations 
 

P.S. Check that we have your personal email address here https://my.bcgeu.ca/signup and forward this link to any colleagues not receiving updates. 

UWU/MoveUP

Your bargaining committee, listed below, elected at the bargaining conference in October, have met for three days to discuss and formulate the bargaining proposals for submission to the lead union (HEU).
 
We are waiting for dates from the employer, to commence bargaining in the new year.
 
Once we have met with the HEU and the other unions in the FBA, we will send another bulletin. If you have any questions, please contact a member of the bargaining team.
 
We wish you all the best for a happy holiday season.
 
In solidarity,
 
Mahen Ramdharry, Bargaining Chairperson
Richard Ziemianski, Bargaining Co-Chair
Sandy Barndt, Bargaining Committee Member
Micheil Bryson, Bargaining Committee Member
Jennifer Marquez, Bargaining Committee Member
Marzena Motz, Bargaining Committee Member
Joel Blanco, Bargaining Committee Alternate
Thomas Christen, Bargaining Committee Alternate
Seyoum Tekle, Bargaining Committee Alternate
Angela Mahlmann, Staff Representative

Download a PDF of this notice

As you are aware, we recently held the bargaining conference for Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) members. We reviewed the bargaining surveys sent in by the members and set priorities for this round of negotiations. As well, we elected the bargaining committee (see below) who will meet in December to finalize our bargaining proposals. Bargaining will commence in the new year, although specific dates are not known at this time.

The bargaining committee members are:

• Micheil Bryson, Local 401
• Richard Ziemianski, Local 401
• Sandy Barndt, Local 403
• Jennifer Marquez, Local 403
• Mahen Ramdharry, Local 403 (Component 4 Vice President)
• Marzena Motz, Local 412

The committee alternates are:

• Joel Blanco, Local 401
• Clint Sheppard, Local 403
• Thomas Christen, Local 406

Another bulletin with updated information will be sent soon.

In solidarity,
Angela Mahlmann, Staff Representative, Negotiations


Download PDF of bulletin here

UWU/MoveUP

The next round of bargaining to renew our collective agreement is just around the corner. This is our opportunity to build on the gains we made in our last agreement, but we need your help to decide which issues to prioritize as your bargaining committee prepares to meet the employer at the bargaining table this spring. 

Will you fill out a short bargaining survey to let us know what issues are most important to you? Click here to take the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) bargaining survey now.

It's important that we hear from all members covered by the agreement so the proposals we put forward in bargaining reflect your needs and ideas. Please don't miss your chance to weigh in, click here to take the bargaining survey before it closes on September 19, 2024. If you know of a member who didn't receive this email, please send it to them. 

The information you provide will remain strictly confidential and will never be accessible to the employer. Thank you for taking the time to participate.

In solidarity, 

Richard Ziemianski

BCGEU 1st vice chairperson Health Services (Component 4)

UWU/MoveUP