UPDATE #1

Bargaining representatives from the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) and the B.C. Government Public Service Agency (BC PSA) are meeting today in Victoria to exchange bargaining proposals and begin four weeks of negotiations to achieve a new collective agreement.

"We're pleased to begin the bargaining process early," said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "It gives us sufficient time before our agreements expire to address some of the long-standing issues that we've been raising with government for the past four years."

"We've been preparing for a return to bargaining since late last year, consulting with our members through surveys, conferences and bargaining meetings. We've given ourselves time to review the complex range of issues and prepare bargaining proposals that reflect the priorities of our membership."

"Undoing 16 years of eroded government services won't be easy. But we have a unique opportunity to go to the bargaining table early and take the time to canvass important issues, like addressing recruitment and retention challenges, rebuilding child protection services, improving conditions for social workers and increasing staff resources for our justice system."

Public service components began negotiating component agreements on April 30, 2018, with public service agreement negotiations beginning May 7, 2018 and scheduled to continue for four weeks.

Over the course of the next 18 months, nearly 85 per cent of BCGEU members, in multiple sectors, will also be at the bargaining table, negotiating renewed collective agreements.

Your Public Service Bargaining Committee:

Stephanie Smith, President
Kari Michaels, Executive Vice President 
Doug Dykens, Director
Mike Eso, Secretary
Dean Purdy, Corrections & Sheriff Services component, Vice President
Kusam Doal, Retail Stores and Warehouses component, Vice President 
Judy Fox-McGuire, Social, Information and Health component, Vice President
Maria Middlemiss, Administrative Services component, Vice President
Matt Damario, Administrative Services component, first Vice Chairperson
George Buis, Environmental Technical and Operational component, Vice President

· Download and print PDF version of bulletin

UWU/MoveUP