Victoria, B.C. – The BCGEU is applauding Budget 2021's support for the critical public services needed to get B.C. through the pandemic. But the union representing tens of thousands of members direct government and throughout the province's broader public sector is highlighting that more needs to be done to support workers as we move towards recovery.

"Our members' top priority for Budget 2021 was to see government unequivocally supporting public services as a path out of the pandemic and we got what we were looking for," said Stephanie Smith, president of the BCGEU. "The big news is childcare-especially with the federal government's commitment announced yesterday-and we're also happy to see ongoing and some impressive new investments in seniors care, mental health and addictions, BC Parks, and poverty reduction. Overall, this budget shows that the government is committed to supporting British Columbians and leveraging the lessons of the pandemic."

The BCGEU consulted with members across the province to inform their submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. That submission urged government to deliver a budget that protected the province's most vulnerable, preserved existing public services, and presented a bold plan to provide the services and supports British Columbians will need to get through the pandemic and build a just recovery.

"There is a lot to celebrate in this budget, particularly compared to what is happening in other provinces," said Smith. "Frankly, what's missing are critical supports for the frontline workers that have gotten our province this far-like paid sick leave and mental health supports. Those are gaps that need to be filled for our province to come out of this pandemic."

The BCGEU is one of the largest and fastest growing unions in B.C. with more than 80,000 members working in almost every community and economic sector in the province.

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For more information, contact our BCGEU communications department at [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

Once every three years members from across the province elect their representatives to convention. They're called delegates.

The next BCGEU convention will take place June 9-12, 2021.

These delegates attend BCGEU convention and vote on important resolutions, and in the election of the President, Treasurer, and Executive Vice-Presidents. For more information on convention, check out the latest issue of the Provincial magazine.

The majority of delegates to our convention are elected at meetings of their union local – regional groups of members in the same industry – and that process is currently going on. This year's meetings are happening online.

If you would like to be a delegate or participate in choosing your local's delegates, check your email or the BCGEU Member Portal for details about your local's meeting.

If you are unable to find details on your meeting, please contact your area office.

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 13, 2021

B.C. liquor and cannabis workers rally for essential pay at Finance Minister's offices 

BURNABY, COAST SALISH TERRITORIES – After more than a year of serving the public safely and peacefully at publicly-owned liquor and cannabis stores and warehouses without financial acknowledgement of their pandemic working conditions, B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) members working for the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) will be safely and peacefully rallying at the offices of the Finance Minister to have her authorize essential pay for their government-deemed essential work.
 
"These rallies aren't just about financial acknowledgement of the risky conditions we've endured and record revenues we've helped generate during this pandemic," said BCLDB employee and BCGEU steward Erica Cardarelli. "This is about our need to be treated fairly now and into the future, better than we have been treated long before COVID-19."
 
BCLDB workers were among thousands who the B.C. government declared essential during the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring. Liquor and cannabis retail stores have remained open to the public throughout the pandemic-with prevention measures like plexiglass barriers and mandatory masks introduced long after members called for them. The warehouses have also remained fully operational to support increased demand from stores as well as pubs, bars and restaurants.
 
At a recent employee town hall, the BCLDB reported record retail sales and Christmas-level wholesale orders throughout the pandemic, as well as increased spending on advertising and opening or renovating stores. At the same event, when asked if the BCLDB would provide workers with essential pay, CEO and General Manager Blain Lawson claimed it was government, not him, who had the power to authorize that particular item.
 
"In calling on Minister Robinson, we're simply acting on our employer's message," said BCGEU vice president Kusam Doal. "We're not asking for funds from the provincial budget. We're asking Minister Robinson, the minister who oversees the BCLDB, to validate our employer's claim and authorize our employer to use a fraction of the public-supporting revenue we help generate during this pandemic to appropriately acknowledge our risk and efforts. This seems like a simple administrative matter, one we believe Minister Robinson can resolve."
 
BCGEU members working for the BCLDB will rally outside Selina Robinson's constituency office on Austin Avenue in Coquitlam and outside the B.C. Legislative Assembly buildings in Victoria at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 14 – two weeks since workers and their supporters began emailing Minister Robinson with the same message. Workers will also be active on social media using the hashtag #essentialBCLDB.
 
The BCGEU is one of the largest, most diverse and fastest growing unions in B.C. with more than 80,000 members working in almost every community and economic sector in the province, including about 4,600 members at the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch.

For more information contact BCGEU Communications, [email protected]

Additional quotes: 
"Being deemed essential but not recognized as such is a blow to our pride – which I think all front line workers can say is vital, given the devastating impacts to our physical and mental health." – Erica Cardarelli, BCLDB employee and BCGEU steward
 
"Our employer and the government are one in the same. We're just being passed back and forth between our direct employer and government, and neither is taking responsibility nor accountability for the relationship with us workers. We've had enough of being messed around and gaslit." – Erica Cardarelli, BCLDB employee and BCGEU steward
 
"Not only are we government employees, we are tax-paying, voting stakeholders of the government. And we have a say in how the public-supporting revenue that we generate gets used." – Erica Cardarelli, BCLDB employee and BCGEU steward
 
"Neither our meeting with Robinson's ministerial assistant or yesterday's Throne Speech offered us any reassurance that our call is being heard." – Kusam Doal, BCGEU vice president Kusam Doal and BCLDB employee
 
Background:
 
On March 26, 2020, the provincial government declared BCLDB workers in retail stores and warehouses to be essential.
 
Despite their status as essential workers, these workers were not included in the provincial government's Temporary Pandemic Pay program (TPP), which was announced in May.
 
On May 29, after the TPP was announced, the BCGEU launched a petition and letter-writing campaign calling on the public to tell their MLAs to provide pandemic pay to all frontline workers. The campaign produced 2,100 letters.
 
BCLDB members also wrote to then Finance Minister, Carole James, asking to include them. James did not include BCLDB workers in the TPP but publicly encouraged "all businesses who've seen an increase in revenue to ensure that their workers are being properly compensated at this difficult time."
 
In September, workers then asked their employer, BCLDB General Manager and CEO Blain Lawson, to allocate just 20 per cent of excess revenue generated during Q4 of 2019/2020 to pandemic pay for all BCLDB employees. Lawson ultimately declined, claiming he was an advocate of employees but ultimately didn't have the power to authorize use of BCLDB revenue.
 
In December, as the second wave of the pandemic intensified and British Columbians headed into the holiday season, workers at BCLDB stores and warehouses ramped up their campaign to be recognized and compensated as essential workers by wearing Essential Pay for Essential Work buttons on the job. Over 3,500 buttons have been distributed and worn. Workers also requested meetings with Lawson and Robinson, neither of which were fulfilled. Workers then initiated an action survey and launched bcldb.bcgeu.ca.
 
On March 16, 2021, at the BCLDB's virtual employee town hall, over 600 BCLDB workers across the province asked Lawson to provide essential pay. Many workers were removed or denied access to the town hall when expressing their call for essential pay. Lawson ultimately deferred to government to authorize use of BCLDB funds for essential pay.
 
On March 30, workers and supporters began emailing the Finance Minister, calling on her to authorize Lawson and the BCLDB to provide financial compensation to workers in recognition of their essential work during the pandemic. Over 1,700 emails have been sent.
 
On April 9, BCGEU Component 5 Vice President and BCLDB employee Kusam Doal met with the Finance Minister's ministerial assistant to discuss the request for essential pay, however no concrete assurance was offered. On April 12, the Throne Speech made no indication that BCLDB workers would receive essential pay from the B.C. Budget.

UWU/MoveUP

COVID-19 unpaid vaccination leave

Our union welcomed government's announcement today to provide better protections for workers requiring leave to get vaccinated for COVID-19. As part of B.C.'s Immunization Plan, part-time and full-time workers are now entitled to take unpaid leave from work to get the vaccine. This is a result of changes to the Employment Standards Act that also include taking time off work to take a dependant family member to get vaccinated. Click here to read the full details of the announcement. 

Along with taking this step to protect workers, we also look forward to government making good on their promise to explore options to provide workers with paid leave while getting their vaccine – something our union continues to fight for. 

Also announced are changes to allow a worker to take job-protected leave if they need to care for other family members because of COVID-19, and not only a child or dependent adult as previously defined. Changes also allow workers with underlying conditions, who are undergoing treatment or who have contracted another illness that makes them more susceptible to COVID-19, to take the leave.
 
And remember, as a unionized worker you may already be entitled to paid leave from work to get vaccinated. Please check your collective agreement for details on leave entitlement or contact your steward if you have questions.

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2021

BCGEU members ratify collective agreement with Vancouver Island seniors' care facility

After several months of unsuccessful negotiations, as well as a unanimous vote to strike if a deal could not be reached, B.C. Government & Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) members at Nanaimo Seniors Village have voted by a strong majority to ratify their new collective agreement.

"For too long, low wages and precarious working conditions in for-profit seniors' care have taken a toll on workers, and created care deficiencies for seniors," says Stephanie Smith, president of the BCGEU. "If the pandemic has a silver lining, it added new urgency around recognizing and correcting these chronic issues, and this new collective agreement takes a step in this direction." 

The agreement is for a 27-month term from July 20, 2019 to October 31, 2021 and includes: significant wage increases; a process to address workload concerns; improved sick leave, vacation and retirement savings; improved human rights, harassment and bullying protections and more.

Nanaimo Seniors Village is one of nine Retirement Concepts worksites represented by the BCGEU – all of which have long-standing problems such as chronic under-staffing, high rates of staff burnout and injury and a crisis in recruitment and retention. For this reason, the union pursued and achieved a declaration from the Labour Relations Board that these nine sites are under a common employer. In future the sites will bargain together at a common table which will better position members and their union to address these issues.

"Of the Retirement Concepts worksites the BCGEU represents, Nanaimo Seniors Village has lagged behind the others in terms of wages, health and welfare benefits and even with the stability of their management," Smith continued. "While we are pleased with where this new contract landed, we look forward to achieving more in the next round of bargaining at a common table with the other sites."

The BCGEU represents 84 members at Nanaimo Seniors Village who work as home support workers, activity aides, cooks, food service attendants, housekeepers, receptionists, and nurses.

The BCGEU is one of the largest and fastest growing unions in B.C. with over 80,000 members working in virtually every community and economic sector in the province.

For more information contact: BCGEU Communications, [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

UWU/MoveUP

Every year, on April 28, BCGEU members across the province come together to honour and remember co-workers and family members who were injured, made sick or killed because of something that happened at work. 

Because of COVID-19, our coming together this year will once again look different but will be no less important. In 2020, 173 workers died due to work, and with many jurisdictions concerned with an emerging third wave, the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to have tremendous impact on workers, including continued lack of protection. It is critical that we all remember those workers and reiterate our commitment to fight for the living to prevent further tragedies. 

Here are a few ways you can acknowledge Day of Mourning on April 28:

• Attend the BC Federation of Labour's virtual gathering at 10:30 a.m. 
• Download and post at your worksite the BCGEU's Day of Mourning poster. To receive a hard copy of the poster, please submit a request here by Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 5 p.m.
• Observe a moment of silence. 
• Share the following statement in your email signature or on social media:
  • On April 28, we honour the lives of those that have been injured or lost their lives to workplace injury or disease in B.C. Visit dayofmourning.bc.ca for more information.
  • In 2020, 173 workers in B.C. lost their lives to workplace injury or disease. Join us in honouring their memory on April 28. Visit dayofmourning.bc.ca for more information.
• Call on your employer to:
  • work with health and safety committees and representatives to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, whatever work is taking place; and 
  • ensure all workers have access to free personal protective equipment, training and paid sick days so they can stay home when they are ill and not risk exposing co-workers and their community.
• Call on our provincial government to:
  • Ensure every worker has seamless access to universal, permanent and adequate paid sick leave, so no one has to choose between going to work sick and getting a paycheque. Being able to stay home when you are sick is fundamental to reducing workplace exposures and illness;
  • Enforce workplace health and safety provisions, including the right to refuse unsafe work; and
  • Deliver on the promise that workplace health and safety is recognized as a fundamental right at work at the International Labour Organization (ILO) this year

Please respond to this email with any questions.

UWU/MoveUP

For months the BCGEU has been working hard to make sure frontline essential workers would be offered vaccines as soon as possible. This week's announcement that more than 300,000 front-line workers will be eligible for immunization starting in April is great news-especially for thousands of BCGEU members in child-care and corrections who are among the priority groups listed. 

However, thousands of BCGEU members who have also worked on the front lines throughout the pandemic still don't know where they stand. These members-including wildfire fighters, Liquor Distribution Branch workers, social workers and Special Provincial Constables-deserve to know when they will be offered a vaccine.

The bottom line is essential workers deserve clarity and I am pushing government to get it. I will update you with any new information as soon as I receive it. 

Whether you are an essential worker who is directly impacted by this week's announcement or whether you are one of millions of British Columbians-myself included-eagerly awaiting their opportunity to get vaccinated as part of the mass population program, please make sure you have the most up-to-date information on BC's vaccine plan. Visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/plan to find out about approved vaccines, eligibility, and how to book appointments for your or your loved ones to get vaccinated.

In solidarity, 

Stephanie Smith

President

Applications for the 2021 BCGEU Scholarship program are now closed.

Our annual scholarship program 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.

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 2021.

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. The coronavirus pandemic has deemed frontline workers – like grocery store cashiers, retail shop clerks, security guards, health and social care workers, food delivery and taxi drivers, early childhood educators - 'essential' yet these workers continue to be poorly paid and are often forced to put their health and safety at risk. Many low-wage and racialized workers have been disproportionately impacted during the pandemic highlighting the critical role of robust public services in tackling major health and social crises. How do we build a post-pandemic world that is caring, sustainable and equitable?
   
   
2. The earth is in the midst of a man-made climate emergency. Addressing this emergency requires system change and collective – not just individual – action. What can the BCGEU and unions do to mobilize this collective action?
   
   
3. In 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, BC saw a surge in anti-Asian racism. There was also an intense focus on anti-Black racism and institutional violence toward Black and Indigenous people. What should the BCGEU do to challenge racism and build a union and province that is just, equitable and inclusive?
   
   
4. The BCGEU is active in many communities where our members live and work. What are the benefits of the union's presence at community events and why is it important?

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

Click here for a copy of our scholarships brochure

Click here for a copy of our scholarships poster

The deadline for applications is Sunday, May 9 at midnight.

You may also be eligible for one of the scholarships offered by NUPGE, our National Union of Public and General Employees. Find details and apply directly here.

NUPGE scholarship for Black students

NUPGE scholarship for Indigenous students

NUPGE scholarship for 2SLGBTQI+ students

NUPGE Terry Fox Memorial scholarship for students with a disAbility

NUPGE scholarship for students of colour

NUPGE scholarship for young workers

NUPGE Tommy Douglas scholarship

UWU/MoveUP

Event: Snow Valley Winter Wonderland
Location: Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club, Terrace-Kitimat
Date: March 15 to End of Season

 
The Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club is a non-profit organization for outdoor winter enthusiasts! The Club is located at the Onion Lake Ski Trails between Terrace and Kitimat on Highway 37, and features:
 
• Groomed Trails for Classic Cross Country or Skate Skiing
• NEW! Snowshoe & Fatbike Trails
• Groomed Designated Dog XC Ski Loop
• User-Operated Night Skiing
 
The club is run entirely by volunteers and through the support of local governments, businesses, and pass sales. Covid safety plan is in effect: https://www.snowvalleynordics.com/
 
Your BCGEU Cross Component Committee is offering members in Area 12 the chance to experience this amazing winter wonderland by providing one adult day pass FREE to members. Limit of one ticket per member. Enjoy this opportunity to spend a little time in our great outdoors, fresh air and exercise!
 
To reserve your ticket, contact:

[email protected]
Seth Downs
BCGEU Local 712 Coast Mountain College Instructors

Download PDF of notice here

UWU/MoveUP