The 51st Constitutional Convention of the BCGEU will be held Wednesday, June 10, 2020 to Saturday, June 13, 2020. The convention will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 655 Burrard St, Vancouver.

If you are interested in attending convention as a delegate representing your components or submitting a resolution to convention, please contact your local chair - if you do not know who this person is, please contact your area office. The process for determining delegates and filing of resolutions will take place in the new year.

Additional delegates representing equity groups, young workers and bargaining councils will be chosen to attend convention.

At Convention 2020, our union will elect our president, treasurer, and the four executive vice presidents. 

Click here for details about the process of running for office or being one of the additional delegates to convention.

Over the last week we have seen protests in support of the Wet'suwet'en people take place around the province, across the country, and around the world. These protests continue to escalate around the province.

While we support the rights of protest guaranteed by the Charter, we are not affiliated with these protests. The safety and well-being of our members is of paramount importance.

Here's what you need to know if you encounter a protest at your worksite 

• Under their collective agreement and the Charter, members have the right not to cross a picket line. 
• Members have the right to refuse unsafe work. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your steward or area office.
• Members should not confront protestors or place themselves at any risk.
• Members who encounter picket lines at their worksite should immediately contact their steward or area office for accurate information about how to proceed.
• Should picket lines go up, your union will not likely be in a position to determine their legality at that time. However, picket lines should be assumed to be legal unless we are informed otherwise.
• The BCGEU Provincial Executive has approved picket pay for members who are unable to attend work due to a picket line at their worksite if they are not paid by their employer. 
• In the event that you are unable to work due to protests at your worksite and are not being paid by your employer for missed hours, please complete this online form to apply for picket pay: https://my.bcgeu.ca/picket

I want to thank all of you who have contacted me, Paul or any other BCGEU member to seek advice. It's critical that members are fully informed when deciding how to act and react during these protests and your union is here to help!

In solidarity,

Stephanie Smith
President 

UWU/MoveUP

BCGEU HEADQUARTERS OFFICE
NEGOTIATIONS DEPARTMENT 

INTERNAL POSTING 
February 12, 2020

POSITION: SECRETARY (Temporary)

GRADE: LEVEL 3 - MoveUP AGREEMENT

A secretary is required to perform secretarial and word processing functions for staff representatives in the Negotiations Department. The term of assignment is up to six months or return of incumbent.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful applicant will perform Level 3 duties as assigned. Duties to include: processing a variety of documents on a personal computer including bargaining proposals, contracts, reports, memoranda, forms, leaves of absence, meeting notices and general correspondence; coordinating, preparing and distributing various materials for strike/ratification votes; maintaining filing systems and daily bring forward system; responding to telephone inquiries and walk-in visitors; arranging appointments; making travel and hotel arrangements; sorting and distributing mail; other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Applicants must have 2-4 years' secretarial experience; high school graduation supplemented by secretarial training; excellent keyboarding skills (60‑70 wpm); excellent Word and Excel skills; excellent communication, spelling and grammatical skills; an aptitude for organization and detail; good telephone manner; the ability to set priorities and work within time limits.

Hours of work are 32 hours, four days per week.

General aptitude tests will be administered to all applicants. Keyboarding tests will be administered to regular/temporary employees who are not presently working in or have not previously worked in a secretarial position.

The BCGEU supports employment equity. Workers of colour, women, aboriginal workers, LGBTQ+ workers and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply for positions with the BCGEU.

Apply in writing with resume to Sharon Penner, Human Resources Administrator, Headquarters, by 5:00 pm Wednesday, February 19, 2020.

Resumes will be accepted by e-mail to: human.resources@bcgeu.ca

UWU/MoveUP

BCGEU HEADQUARTERS OFFICE

NEGOTIATIONS DEPARTMENT

INTERNAL POSTING

February 12, 2020

POSITION: SECRETARY

GRADE: LEVEL 3 - MoveUP AGREEMENT

A secretary is required to perform secretarial and word processing functions for staff representatives in the Negotiations Department.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful applicant will perform Level 3 duties as assigned. Duties to include: processing a variety of documents on a personal computer including bargaining proposals, contracts, reports, memoranda, forms, leaves of absence, meeting notices and general correspondence; coordinating, preparing and distributing various materials for strike/ratification votes; maintaining filing systems and daily bring forward system; responding to telephone inquiries and walk-in visitors; arranging appointments; making travel and hotel arrangements; sorting and distributing mail; other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Applicants must have 2-4 years' secretarial experience; high school graduation supplemented by secretarial training; excellent keyboarding skills (60‑70 wpm); excellent Word and Excel skills; excellent communication, spelling and grammatical skills; an aptitude for organization and detail; good telephone manner; the ability to set priorities and work within time limits.

Hours of work are 32 hours, four days per week.

General aptitude tests will be administered to all applicants. Keyboarding tests will be administered to regular/temporary employees who are not presently working in or have not previously worked in a secretarial position.

The BCGEU supports employment equity. Workers of colour, women, aboriginal workers, LGBTQ+ workers and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply for positions with the BCGEU.

Apply in writing with resume to Sharon Penner, Human Resources Administrator, Headquarters, by 5:00 pm Wednesday, February 19, 2020.

Resumes will be accepted by e-mail to: human.resources@bcgeu.ca

UWU/MoveUP

STAFF REPRESENTATIVE (Temporary)
NORTHWEST AREA OFFICE

INTERNAL POSTING
February 11, 2020

The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union requires a temporary staff representative to work in the Northwest Area office for up to 3 months or to return of incumbent, effective date to be determined.

DUTIES:  

• Assist officers, stewards and membership in the day-to-day administration of their union by attending membership meetings; assisting in union elections, preparing and conducting ratification votes;
• Advising union membership on union policy and procedures;
• Negotiating collective agreements and contract administration through the handling of grievances up to and including expedited arbitration;
• Teaching courses for stewards and local officers;
• Assisting in or leading organizing campaigns, both internal and external;
• Representing the union at local labour councils and conventions; and
• Will be required to develop grassroots campaign plans to advance the interests of the union's membership as well as engage members and recruit activists.

QUALIFICATIONS:  

• Experience in the trade union movement is essential;
• Ability to deal with union leadership and employer representatives;
• Ability to prepare concise written reports and handle a large volume of correspondence and ability to speak in public;
• Must have an understanding of the goals and values of the labour movement;
• Must have a solid understanding of organizing principles. Proven experience in union organizing drives will be an asset; and
• Demonstrated ability to develop activist skills and maintain an effective working relationship with union and community activists.

Travel is required, therefore, applicants must hold a valid B.C. Driver's Licence.

The BCGEU supports employment equity. Workers of colour, women, aboriginal workers, LGBTQ+ workers, and workers with disabilities are encouraged to apply for positions with the BCGEU.

Submit applications no later than 5:00 pm, Friday, February 21, 2020.

Resumes will be accepted by e-mail to: human.resources@bcgeu.ca, attention to:
Stephanie Smith, President, c/o Lisa Trolland

UWU/MoveUP

The BCGEU continues to call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict on Wet’suwet’en territory.

As a trade union committed to supporting the full implementation of the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the recommendations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the BCGEU is deeply troubled by the current and ongoing events on Wet’suwet’en territory including the use of exclusion zones, forceful removal of land defenders, and threats to journalists.

This week B.C.'s independent Office of the Seniors Advocate (OSA) published the first ever provincial review of the $1.4 billion-dollar contracted long-term care sector in British Columbia, A Billion Reasons to Care.

Overall, the OSA confirms what our union has been saying for years: the contracted long-term care sector lacks accountability and transparency in funding and monitoring and fails to meet the needs of seniors and their families.

In the report, the OSA also outlines how the system got to its current state. Prior to 1999 only 23 per cent of beds in long-term care were operated by for-profit companies. The rest were operated by non-profit societies and health authorities. In the two decades that followed, the sector shifted significantly towards the for-profit model due largely to legislation enacted by the BC Liberals. The previous government's legislation led to the deterioration of working conditions for health and social-sector workers by stripping workplace protections and rights and enabling contract-flipping which created a race to the bottom in terms of wages. Fortunately the BC NDP repealed these laws in late 2018, but the damage will take years to undo and leaves us where we are today – with staffing crises and care facilities under health authority administration as we have seen in Comox, Nanaimo and Victoria.

Among the report's specific findings:

• for-profit operations generate millions in profits but fall short on the number of direct care hours they are funded to deliver, to the tune of 207,000 hours over a two-year period.
• staff in the for-profit system are underpaid by as much as 28 per cent or $6.63 less per hour than the industry standard. 

The OSA makes five recommendations to address the problems it identifies:

1. Funding for direct care must be spent on direct care.
2. Monitoring for compliance with funded care hours must be more accurate.
3. Contract agencies must clearly define their profit in their reporting.
4. Standardize reporting for all care homes throughout B.C.
5. Revenues and expenditures for publicly funded care homes should be available to the public.

Our union commends the OSA for providing this critical and long-overdue insight into the contract long-term care system and supports all five recommendations. However, while these measures would certainly bring improvement to a sector so lacking in regulation, we believe our province must go further to remove the profit motive from seniors' care altogether.

It's time to restore seniors' care in B.C. by putting people before profits and bringing the sector back under government as a public service. Only then will we have a long-term solution that supports our dedicated workforce with good wages and benefits to deliver the standard of care B.C.'s seniors deserve.

The BCGEU represents over 8,000 members in seniors care with 3,000 working in residential care facilities.

Read the report here: https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/app/uploads/sites/4/2020/02/ABillionReasonsToCare.pdf

UWU/MoveUP

Due to inclement weather, the Kelowna Area Office has closed for the remainder of Tuesday, February 4. The office plans to reopen, February 5, at 8:30am.

If you are a BCGEU member in the Okanagan (Area 07) and need emergency support at your worksite, please contact your union steward.

Facilities related emergencies at the site can be directed to Ryan Schmid at 778-870-7877.

We are now accepting applications for the 2020 BCGEU scholarships. Our annual scholarship programme of $60,000 offers awards of $2,000 for full-time students and $1,000 for part-time students. Scholarships are funded by the dues of our 80,000 members.

Download the poster here. 

Eligibility

• A BCGEU member in good standing, or related to a current, retired or deceased BCGEU member or staff; and
• A student or prospective post-secondary or higher learning student enrolled, registered or planning to attend an eligible educational institution in 2020.

Eligible relatives include spouses, parents, and children or grandchildren (including foster, adopted and stepchildren and grandchildren).

Eligible educational institutions must be designated by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Find a list of eligible institutions here.

Previous BCGEU scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply.

Essay

In addition to providing personal information, applicants must submit a short essay of 450 - 500 words in response to one of the following topics for their essay:

1. One job should be enough! How does precarious work impact workers and why is decent work so important?
2. What are the impacts of work on the mental health of workers and what can employers and unions do to support workers' mental health?
3. What does Reconciliation between Indigenous and settler peoples mean to you?

We encourage applicants to interview a BCGEU member, or to use personal experience or original research for this essay.

Apply online at: www.bcgeu.ca/scholarships.

The deadline for applications is Sunday, May 3 at midnight.

Additional opportunities

You may also be eligible for one of these five scholar- ships worth $1,500 awarded by our national union, NUPGE:

• Brian Fudge Memorial Scholarship
• Scholarship for Indigenous Students
• Scholarship for Students of Colour Terry Fox Memorial
• Scholarship Tommy Douglas Scholarship

For information on these scholarships, including eligibility criteria and the deadline for submissions, visit www.nupge.ca.

UWU/MoveUP