FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 1, 2023 

BCGEU community health workers ratify three-year deal 

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – The member unions of the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) have ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC). The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) is the lead union representing 13,000 members and the agreement covers more than 21,000 community health workers across B.C. 

The deal was ratified by a vote of over 94 per cent. 

The tentative agreement represents substantial gains in key areas identified by members including significant wage increases averaging 14 to 16 per cent over three years, protecting workers' benefits, and providing greater control over working conditions. 

"In this round of bargaining, our members' main goal was to make meaningful progress toward closing the pay gap with their peers in other health sectors," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "Thanks to the solidarity and resolve of members in the sector, they met this goal and have made important gains towards the long-term sustainability of the community health sector. I'd like to thank the bargaining committee for its dedication to members and to all the people in B.C. that rely on these vital services." 

Members of the CBA are health care professionals who provide home care that enables seniors age in place, support people living with mental health and addictions challenges and provide administrative services to keep the community health care system running smoothly. 

The new agreement is effective April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025. 

Other member unions of the CBA are UFCW, HEU, CUPE, HSA, USW, CLAC and BCNU.

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Media contact: 

[email protected] 
BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)

UWU/MoveUP

Area 04 Local Leadership Training Part 1 & 2

**Part 1: online (1-day) -  CHOOSE ONE OF March 30, April 5 OR April 14, 2023 &Part 2 – In-person (2-day) - April 17 & 18, 2023 

Area 04 Local Executive Leadership Training will be held in two parts. 

Part 1 is an all-day online webinar. You will have a choice of one of the three dates listed above. Part 2 is a two-day in-person training session being held at a venue in Pitt Meadows.

We are asking local chairs to coordinate their local executives to sign up for the Part 1 webinar on the same day when the registration is released.

Please watch for the registration information at the beginning of March.

**The Part 1 webinar is a pre-requisite to the Part 2 in-person training

Download PDF of notice here

UWU/MoveUP

EVENTS

Making Histories: An Exhibition of Black Artists

What: Visit this free exhibition to view work from local Black artists that celebrates Black History Month. Making Histories: An Exhibition of Black Artists has been created by four local Black artists from Langley, New Westminster and Surrey:

When: January 26th- April 3
Time:Monday to Friday: 6am to 10pm Saturday: 7am to 7pm Sunday: 7am to 5pm
Where: Cloverdale Recreation Centre: 6188 - 176 Str (second floor)
Cost: Free

Online Speaker Series: Hidden Histories - Adult

What:Discover hidden Black histories left out of textbooks that shaped the Lower Mainland in this seminar.

When: February 14

Time: 12- 1 pm
Where: Livestream and in-person at Hermann’s Upstairs, 751 View Street, Victoria.
Cost: Free, advance registration required

Pages on Stage: A Black Storytelling Event

What: In partnership with QMUNITY, this Vancouver Public Library event features queer, Black storytellers who will take the stage to share stories. The event promises that “each storyteller will weave a narrative exploring the intersections of their identity, offering the audience the nuances of the Black queer experience.”

When: Saturday, February 24, 2024

Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Central Library, Vancouver
Cost: Free, no regristration required, link here

Black History and Heritage Day

What: Take this opportunity to meet and talk with direct descendants about their stories and family history and meet with local organizations that are dedicated to the preservation of historical records related to Black history in BC. The exhibits include images, artifacts, and archival documents. Free!

Live Music in Clifford Carl Hall by the Noedy HD Trio with Noedy Hecavarria Duharte – saxophone, Phil Albert – bass, and Miles Fuller – drums

When: February 10

Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Royal BC Museum 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 9W2
Cost: Free, no registration required, link here

Black History Month at Viff

RESOURCES

• BC Black History Awareness Society
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion
• Canadian Heritage Campaign  
• Canadian Labour Congress
• Noteworthy Black Canadians
• BC Black History Awareness Society
• African Descent Society BC
• UN Declaration – Decade for People of African Descent (Anti-Racism Resources for White People)
• Government of BC: Anti-Racism FAQs
• Massy Books- Black History Month
• Amnesty-Rights Back at You Podcast
• Black Lives Matter

BOOKS

• Subtle Act of Exclusion: How to understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions by Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran
• Black Women Under State: Surveillance, Poverty, & the Violence of Social Assistance by Idil Abdillahi  
• White Fragility: Why it's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin Diangelo
• They said this would be fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up by Eternity Martis
• Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt
• Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
• Bigger than Bravey: Black Resilience and Reclamation in a Time of Pandemic by Valerie Boyd, Alice Walker, Kiese Laymon  

UWU/MoveUP

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – Members of the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) working at Vantage Living Inc. – owner of independent living facility Lakeside Manor – reached a tentative agreement with their employer after meeting with a mediator on January 25, 2023. Until the vote on the tentative agreement is held, the union's job action will stand down. 

"From the 84 per cent strike vote last October, to serving 72-hour strike notice earlier this month, members at Lakeside Manor have shown solidarity and the kind of fight it takes to get a fair deal," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "That solidarity enabled the bargaining committee to secure a deal that will improve conditions for everyone that lives and works in this facility." 

Details of the tentative agreement will be shared with members in the coming days followed by a vote on whether to accept the agreement. 

The BCGEU represents 30 workers at Lakeside Manor who work as laundry attendants, room attendants, line cooks, chefs, dishwashers, servers and activities and events specialists. 

For more information contact: [email protected] or 604-291-9611.

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2023

MEDIA ADVISORY: Job action postponed for seniors' care workers
 
BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – Job action has now been postponed for members of the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) working for Vantage Living Inc. – owner of independent living facility Lakeside Manor in Salmon Arm. This follows 72-hour strike notice issued to the company on Friday. 

Vantage Living Inc. has applied for mediation which is set for January 25, 2023. The BCGEU, representing 30 workers at this facility, is hopeful a fair deal can be reached in mediation and without disruption to the residents. 

The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with over 85,000 members in almost every community and economic sector in the province.

For more information contact: [email protected] 

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2023

Seniors' care workers issue 72-hour strike notice 

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – Members of the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) have issued 72-hour strike notice to Vantage Living Inc. – owner of independent living facility Lakeside Manor – as of 11:00 a.m., January 13, 2023. This action is being taken following several months of negotiations that have yet to result in an agreement that provides wage increases that address the rising cost of living and will reduce high staff turnover. 
"This dispute is about seniors' care workers fighting for the respect and support they deserve, and the respect and support those in their care deserve," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "Our members are demanding fair compensation so they can put a stop to the revolving door of poorly paid workers and deteriorating conditions at Lakeside Manor." 

The union is seeking wage increases in line with inflation so these workers can catch up and keep up with rising costs. Right now, most workers make minimum wage with the highest pay at $20.90 per hour.

"This is another case of a for-profit company prioritizing the bottom line over wages and working conditions and by extension, the conditions of care residents experience" continued Smith. "For this reason, Lakeside Manor residents are also engaged and supporting members' actions to improve conditions for everyone that lives and works in the facility." 

The bargaining committee remains dedicated to reaching an agreement without commencing job action and is willing to use every minute of the next 72 hours to get a deal done without any disruption to residents. 

If no agreement is reached, job action will commence on Monday January 16, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. with workers walking off the job and on to the picket line. 

Media are invited to attend the strike kick off:

WHAT: Strike kick off for members of Lakeside Manor. 

WHEN: Monday, January 16, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. PST 

WHERE: 681 Harbour Front Drive, NE, in Salmon Arm, B.C. 

VISUALS: Independent seniors living workers, joined in solidarity by some
of the residents they care for and other allies, calling for a fair deal with
colourful union flags and signs. 

The BCGEU represents 30 workers at Lakeside Manor who voted 84 per cent in favour of strike action last October. 

The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with over 85,000 members in almost every community and economic sector in the province.

For more information contact: [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

BCGEU stands in solidarity with Ontario education workers 

We condemn the Doug Ford government for their callous attack on 55,000 education workers and their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On Thursday, they made good on their reckless promise to pass legislation making it illegal for workers to strike and forcing a contract on them. Workers who disobey the ruling will be subject to steep fines.

This legislation is an attack on the rights to free bargaining that workers fought for and won through many years of struggle. It's a dangerous precedent that should concern all citizens.

The workers targeted by this unconscionable attack on labour rights are members of CUPE OSBCU - CSCSO. They perform vital supporting roles in the public school system, include education assistants, custodians, library workers, maintenance workers, secretaries, early childhood educators and IT professionals. They are among the lowest paid in Ontario's education sector.

The BCGEU calls on the Ontario government to return to the bargaining table and bargain in good faith - the only way to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that will satisfy education workers, parents, and students.

We encourage BCGEU members to show support for Ontario education workers - visit https://cupe.on.ca/dontbeabully/

Winter School 2023 will be taking place in-person! We are so excited that our communities will be able to come together, to learn and discuss with peers and colleagues at the upcoming Winter School. As we continue to work with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) on updating you with further details, please complete your registration application form to express your interest in attending. Please note, this form does not mean you are registered to attend Winter School. Upon receipt of your registration/application, you will receive an e-mail from [email protected] asking for your class choices and asking for further supporting details that will be forwarded to your Component Education Committee for consideration. Once your Component has made their decision on who is approved to attend, you will be contacted by our Department to finalize your attendance.

Please complete by November 4, 2022: Winter School 2023 Application.

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2022

B.C.'s public service members ratify collective agreement

BURNABY, B.C. – Over a two-week voting period, members of the BCGEU's (BC General Employees' Union) public service bargaining unit voted 53.4 per cent in favour of the tentative agreement reached with B.C.'s Public Service Agency (PSA) on September 6. More than 71 per cent of eligible members voted in the ratification process.
 
"This ratification marks the end of a long, challenging round of bargaining," said BCGEU President Stephanie Smith, who also serves as Chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee. "And this agreement is the beginning of a renewed investment in public services and the workers that provide them that will ultimately benefit everyone in B.C. But the result is a clear message from our members that our work is not over."
 
Highlights of the new three-year agreement include:

• A three-year term from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2025.
• General wage increases:
  • Year 1 – a flat increase of $0.25/hour which provides a greater percentage increase for lower paid employees (for BCGEU workers, an average of 0.76%) plus 3.24%
  • Year 2 – 5.5% plus a potential Cost of Living Adjustment to a maximum of 6.75%
  • Year 3 – 2% plus a potential Cost of Living Adjustment to a maximum of 3%

• Improvements to occupational health and safety
• Improvements to mental health in the workplace
• Employment security
• Equity and worker's rights
• Improved and more flexible leave provisions

The agreement is now fully in effect as the 19th Main Agreement between the BCGEU and the PSA, with a number of terms retroactive to April 1, 2022.
 
In addition to the 33,000 members in the public service bargaining unit, an additional 31,000 public sector BCGEU members are still engaged in bargaining under the Community Social Services, Community Health, Post-secondary instructors and support, and Health Science Professionals agreements.
 
BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with over 85,000 members in almost every community and economic sector in the province.
 
Please see attached backgrounder for additional details and a timeline of public service bargaining.

For more information, contact BCGEU Communications at 604-291-9611 or [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP