BURNABY – The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union announced today that its members in the B.C. public service sector have voted to ratify the tentative agreement reached with the B.C. government in June. The final vote was 62.7 per cent in favour.

"After 16 years of staff cuts and wage restraint, there was a lot of pent-up demand for positive change from our membership," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "We knew that we wouldn't make up all the lost ground in one round of bargaining, but this agreement will provide a good foundation for us to build on." 

BCGEU members ratified a three-year agreement that features a two per cent general wage increase in each year, and addresses labour market pressures in specific occupations as well as expanded bullying and harassment language and the achievement of special leave for members experiencing domestic violence.

The effective dates of the new agreement will be April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2022. 

"This collective agreement will improve wages and working conditions for our public service members," said Smith. "But we know there is still work to be done and we're looking forward to putting this agreement to work."

The digital version of the Summer 2018 issue of The Provincial is available to download online. In this issue:

• MMIWG Inquiry
• Professional reliance
• Labour review
• Bargaining update
• Affordable BC campaign
• Events and more…

Download the Summer 2018 issue 

Download the consolidated financial statements of B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union Dec 31 2017 here

UWU/MoveUP

Forty years ago, Vancouver Pride started with a handful of people struggling against homophobia and transphobia coming together in solidarity. In the beginning, it was a small group of activists that wanted to be proud of who they were and who they love, and has now grown into a vibrant celebration enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people. 

Today, there are Pride parades in communities large and small across British Columbia that embody what Pride is about- visibility and community for two-spirited, trans and queer folks.

This year, the BCGEU is proud once again to march in solidarity with the LGBTQI2S+ community alongside our members at the 40th Vancouver Pride parade. As a union committed to social justice, we have always supported equity and diversity in our union, in our workplaces and in our communities. 

But Pride is more than a parade and more than a celebration. Pride is a movement. And the Pride movement and the labour movement are united by common values and common goals. 

The Pride movement was started by activists demanding visibility, equality, rights, and respect. The Pride movement has made colleagues, friends and loved ones into allies, advocates, and activists. And the Pride movement has survived and thrived in communities on every continent, in every country, across the world- because the values it espouses are universal. 

We have come a long way, but there is still much more work to do to advance rights for all. That's why our union has a dedicated equity and human rights committee that meets regularly to raise awareness, deepen our knowledge and strategize to end discrimination in all its forms. 

The Pride parade is a moment to remember where the movement came from, to appreciate and celebrate everything the movement has achieved, and to recognize how much further we have to go.

In solidarity,

Stephanie Smith
BCGEU President

UWU/MoveUP

Friday, August 3, 2018 

An Open Letter from Gateway Casino Workers in the Thompson-Okanagan – OUR COMMUNITIES DESERVE BETTER! 

Dear Community Members,

For over five weeks, almost 700 community members in the Thompson-Okanagan have been on strike. We are Gateway Casino workers fighting for respect and the ability to live in the communities we serve. We are parents, students, long-time employees – we are your neighbours and we're asking for your help.

We don't have to tell you the cost of living is rising in the Thompson-Okanagan region – you feel it as much as we do. Housing prices and rents are increasing, groceries are more expensive here than in larger urban centres and rising gas prices make life unaffordable for those who need to commute from smaller communities. It's no surprise that living wages, the base amount it takes to survive in our region, are around $17-18/hour.

Knowing this, Gateway Casinos, the largest gaming company in Canada, still refuses to offer decent wages. They use smokescreens and percentages designed to make us look greedy, out-of-touch, and unrealistic. The truth is, we are among the lowest-paid casino workers in Canada. Many of us, even those who have been with the company for over 10 years, still make $12-13/hour.

Gateway's wage offer will not stay ahead of planned minimum wage increases. This is not an "offer," it is merely compliance with government law. To insist on paying employees the lowest wage legally allowed in BC is heartbreaking; it is a testament to what they believe their employees are worth – what they believe people in our communities are worth.

When Gateway says we don't deserve to be paid as much as casino workers on the coast,what they are really saying is the service they offer you in the Thompson-Okanagan is second-rate. We don't agree. We love our jobs. We work hard, in high-pressure environments, to offer you a top-notch entertainment experience.

The company has been taking aim at our tips. A tip is a reward for good service, it was never designed to be a supplement for poor wages. Gateway Casinos should not download the responsibility of paying a living wage onto our guests.The government does not even consider tips a dependable source of income and cannot be used towards things like CPP, mortgages, parental leave, EI and so on. Many casino workers don't receive tips at all.

In the last few years, Gateway Casinos has invested nearly half a billion dollars in various development projects – it's time they invest in their employees.When they pay living wages that allow us to live and shop in our communities, that money stays in the local Thompson-Okanagan economy rather than going to Gateway's holdings in Metro Vancouver, Alberta and Ontario.

We are not on strike to cash in – we are fighting a wealthy employer for the ability to survive. We have families, student loans and the same daily expenses as many of you, and we are struggling to get by. It's time for Gateway Casinos to stop profiting off our poverty.

Please help us in our fight by not crossing our picket lines and by telling Gateway how you feel. Call them, email them, write letters to the editor of our local papers. Visit our website at casinoworkers.ca for more ways to help.

So many of you have already come out to show your support and it means everything to us. Let's show Gateway Casinos that the people of the Thompson-Okanagan are not second-rate – that we deserve better!

Sincerely,

Workers from Cascades Penticton, Playtime Kelowna, Lake City Vernon and Cascades Kamloops

UWU/MoveUP

BURNABY – The BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) has released a list of policy proposals titled "What Can Local Governments Do?", directed at municipalities who want to take bold action on issues of housing affordability. As property prices across B.C. continue to escalate, access to affordable housing has become a central concern for BCGEU members.

By focusing on measures that can be taken by local governments, the union hopes to engage with candidates running in the fall municipal elections, as housing affordability will undoubtedly be one of the main issues in many B.C. communities.

"Municipal governments possess powerful toolkits to address the need for affordable housing in their communities," says BCGEU Treasurer Paul Finch. "Much of what needs to be done is within their existing powers."

The eight recommendations include clearly defining "affordable" in relation to municipal housing policies, taking advantage of new rental-only zoning powers handed down by the provincial government, utilizing public land to build affordable housing, and offering tax incentives and benefits to accelerate affordable housing projects.

In addition, the union highlights key measures that the federal and provincial governments can take to help municipalities address the housing crisis, such as offering tax waivers and incentives for purpose-built rental housing projects and allowing local governments to mandate inclusionary zoning of affordable housing on new developments.

The plan is an addendum to the union's Building an Affordable B.C. report, co-authored by CUPE 1767 President Jared Melvin and Vice President Harpinder Sandhu, which mainly advocates for policy changes at the provincial level to curb real estate speculation. 

View the BCGEU's policy proposals for local governments here: https://www.affordablebc.ca/local_government 

View the report Building an Affordable B.C. here: https://www.affordablebc.ca/our-plan

The BCGEU is one of the largest and most diverse unions in British Columbia, representing over 77,000 members across the province.

For more information contact Karen Tankard, BCGEU Communications, 604-473-5454

UWU/MoveUP

Unionized provincial government workers have registered their opposition to a 25-storey highrise in central Kelowna.

The Brooklyn project should be rejected by city council, the BCGEU says, because it will do nothing to promote affordable housing in Kelowna.

Read more...

UWU/MoveUP

Members of a multi-union group working in B.C. community living homes and services have voted to accept a new three-year employment contract, eight months before the existing contract expires.

The contract covers 16,000 people and was recommended to members in June by the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union and others in the community health bargaining group.

Read more...

Burnaby- Community health sector workers, represented by the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) have voted strongly in favour of a tentative agreement reached with health employers. This agreement firms up a new three-year collective agreement for 16,000 union workers, which will take effect April 1, 2019 and expire March 31, 2022.

The new collective agreement brings in yearly wage increases of two per cent in each of the next three years in addition to enhanced benefits, provisions for improved scheduling and steps to address staff retention. Employees covered in this agreement work in home care support services, community service agencies, health authorities, provide services to seniors, and work in mental health and addiction services. 

"Community health workers deliver critical services to some of the most vulnerable British Columbians," says Stephanie Smith, BCGEU President. "This agreement is an important step forward for our members and the communities they serve." 

Today's vote announcement comes after a tentative agreement was reached in mid-June, the result of weeks of negotiations between the Community Health Bargaining Association (CBA), a coordinated multi-union group, and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC). 

The BCGEU represents over 77,000 members across the province including more than 10,000 community health service and support workers in B.C. Highlights of the agreement include: 

• Wage increases of six per cent over three years for all workers
• Improvement of employment security provisions
• Creation of task force to investigate guaranteed hours and other issues 
• Additional funding for Enhanced Disability Management Program

UWU/MoveUP

Can you believe we're almost a century old? Today, the BC Government and Service Employees' Union celebrates our 99th birthday.

Of course, we weren't known as the BCGEU back in 1919, but July 26 marks the anniversary of the first annual convention of the Provincial Civil Service Association of BC which, over the decades, grew to become the BCGEU. 

"At 77,000 members strong, the BCGEU is one of the fastest growing and most diverse unions in British Columbia," says BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "We have more than 500 certifications and we're adding members all the time. 

"Our members know that the BCGEU is a practical and principled union that has their backs. When workers have to stand up to an employer and go on strike, we use the economic power of our membership to help them reach a fair settlement."

In the past decade, the union's growth has come mainly from the community health and community social services sectors, but also from casinos, hotels and medical labs. 

Here's how we've evolved into one of the largest unions in the province:

1944: There's a name change to the B.C. Government Employees' Association (BCGEA).

1947: The first BCGEA newspaper, The Provincial, is issued as a result of a convention resolution. We still publish The Provincial magazine four times a year.

1970: The BCGEA becomes the BCGEU.

1974: The BCGEU becomes the bargaining agent for 25,000 public service workers.

1981: The BCGEU changes its name to add "service," to reflect non-government workers.

We've come a long way. The BCGEU is at once old and wise yet young at heart, strong and progressive. So, here's wishing us all a happy union birthday.