Background
Your bargaining committee returned to the table on May 20, 2021 to try and reach a fair collective agreement on your behalf. Unfortunately, your committee was once again met with an employer who sees their profits as more important than valuing the work you perform for the residents of your facility.

In an effort to move towards achieving a fair agreement, your bargaining committee tabled a package that showed substantial movement in many areas. This proposal demonstrated to the employer our wish to achieve an agreement, but made it clear; our intent is to negotiate a collective agreement that ensures you make gains in areas you told your committee was important. 

The response from the employer was to once again table a package that keeps you at the low end of the private for profit employees working in this industry. Their idea of treating you fairly is no wage increase while the provincial levelling agreement is in place. If the provincial levelling agreement ends, the employer is prepared to talk about wages at that time but if no agreement can be reached, you have to return to and live with your 2019 wages until the end of the Collective Agreement. The employer is proposing that be in 2024. That is not acceptable to your bargaining committee and we are confident, not acceptable to you.

Your bargaining committee tried again on May 20, to engage the employer with a second proposal to see if we could move bargaining forward. The employer's response was to declare an impasse. The employer is not prepared to recognize you are far behind other private for profit Collective Agreements. The employer doesn't believe you deserve a pension. The employer is offering minimal improvement to vacation, sick leave, shift differentials, all which, if accepted, would keep you at the bottom of the pay and benefit scale of the healthcare industry. While keeping you at the bottom, Pro Vita, West Cana and Park Place will all be making significant profits on the work that you perform.

What happens now? 

Based on the employer actions and responses at the bargaining table so far, your bargaining committee has no confidence we can get to an agreement that is fair without your help. Over the next while the unions at the table (BCGEU and HEU) will be going through the process of establishing essential services, moving us towards the potential of asking you for a strike mandate through a secret ballot strike vote. Your bargaining committee will also be looking at other actions we can take to show this employer that you are solidly behind the proposals we're making.

In the meantime, your bargaining committee will be making an application to the Labour Relations Board and requesting assistance of a mediator to try and break through this impasse. While we are not that hopeful this will get us to where we need to be, your bargaining committee will try all avenues to reach a fair agreement that respects the work you do every day.

Rick Bowen was not able to join us for the last round of bargaining as he resigned his position at Piccadilly. On behalf of the bargaining committee, we thank Rick for his valuable input into bargaining and wish him well in his new position. 

As we move down this road it is very important that we have your up-to-date personal email address so you can receive news on mediation, essential services and if we reach a tentative agreement. We will also be sending information on job action, up to and including a strike vote via email. You can log into the Member's Portal at members.bcgeu.ca or give your personal email address to a member of your bargaining committee. 

In solidarity, 

Kathy Caldwell – Bargaining Committee Member
Laurie Johnson – Bargaining Committee Member
Sheila Matthen – Staff Representative, Negotiations

Download PDF of notice here