To the BC Operation Team/BCGEU Members:

It has been a very long time coming. We were formally advised today that the PHSA has finalized a contract with NTT DATA Services and that IBM is no longer the Vendor in Waiting on the Health RFP.

So what does this mean for us all?

As was announced on April 19, 2018, NTT DATA Services will abide by the BCGEU Collective Agreement relationship and agrees to register a certification with the BCGEU at the BC Labour Relations Board at the appropriate time.

As this process unfolds, ISM Canada will continue to provide services under the current contract with the PHSA until December 31, 2019, and any termination assistance period requested by PHSA beyond the end of the contract. While December 31, 2019, is the target end date, the PHSA does have the ability to extend the contract by two (2) additional three (3) month extensions if required. In addition, the client may elect to utilize IBM for transition services post end-of-term for a period of up to 9 months.

The IBM and ISM teams will engage with NTT DATA Services and the PHSA to develop a plan to transition the services to NTT DATA Services. In addition, the Transition Committee that was created last year consisting of BCGEU and ISM Canada representatives will also start meeting to ensure a smooth transition and that the Collective Agreement terms and conditions remain in place during the transition. Your BCGEU representatives want you to know that they will be there to represent your rights under the collective agreement as we move through the transition process.

We all know that during challenging times such as these, transparency is key. The Leadership of ISM Canada continues to stay true to the Vertical Leadership philosophy we have adopted over the last few years.

The ISM Leadership team commits to you all, that as we receive factual information relevant to this transition process, we will keep you informed. We will also respond to any stories that you hear of concern as this process unfolds based on the information we have. In the absence of factual data, it is human nature that we begin to speculate. Our job is to create space for everyone to feel welcome to raise their concerns and provide assurances based on our knowledge to minimize the creation or fueling of speculation. Please talk to your Manager, your Director or members of the Transition Committee (Lori Strom BCGEU Staff Representative, Judy Fox-McGuire, BCGEU Component 6 Vice President, Joseph Ivens BCGEU steward and BCGEU Transition Committee Rep, Keith Beaurivage, Vice President – BC Operation or Marie Doherty, Manager, People and Culture – BC Operation) or post your questions on the Slack Channel. If you're wondering about something, chances are, many others are as well.

As of today, this is all the factual information we have. Let's continue to be accountable to our PHSA customer until the end of the contract and help support each other at the same time.

UWU/MoveUP