Our union would like to remind members covered by the HSPBA collective agreement that the application process for reimbursement of professional fees paid in 2023 is still open.

For those who have not yet submitted a claim for fees paid in 2023, we will continue to process new applications until April 30, 2024. At that time, we will stop accepting new applications for professional fees and memberships for 2023 as we prepare to launch a new round of reimbursement for professional fees and memberships for the current year, 2024. You can expect further information on that to be released the following week, between May 6-10, 2024.

For those who have already made a claim for 2023 and are still awaiting reimbursement, we thank you for your continued patience. Our staff have received over 1,000applications to date and are working diligently to process claims and payments as quickly as possible.

Important update regarding your personal information and privacy:

In our earlier communication to members on December, 11, 2023 announcing the opening of our new application portal, our guidelines indicated that applicants needed to submit a redacted banking or credit card statement (in addition to their receipt or invoice) as an additional proof of payment for their fee or membership charge.

The union has carefully reevaluated this requirement and come to the conclusion that, despite the suggested removal of personal and/or private information contained in these records, the practice is not necessary for the purposes of administering this fund.

Effective immediately, applicants will no longer be required to submit any personal banking or credit card information to demonstrate payment of their fees. However, they will be asked to make a declaration when submitting their application that confirms they have not received reimbursement from another union or from another source of funding.

We wish to apologize for the concern and frustration this requirement has caused for many applicants and to offer our assurances that any and all personal information gathered in the process of making reimbursements to will be treated with the strictest standards of care and confidentiality.

We thank you again for your patience and look forward to continuing to serve BCGEU members through the administration of this valuable fund.

In Solidarity,

BCGEU Learning & OHS

Download PDF of notice here

UWU/MoveUP