Ratification FAQs

One of our concerns in accepting a four-year deal was the outside possibility that there could be inflation in years three and four that we needed to address. We initially proposed inflation protection on those years but were not able to achieve this in mediation. We were unwilling to hold up ratification or stay on strike for several more weeks to potentially achieve it.

We believe we are modestly protected from inflation by a couple points:

• We already know the BC CPI inflation calculation for Year 1 of the deal: 2.6%
• We have a fair degree of certainty that Year 1 BC CPI will be below 3%
• If inflation does occur in the later years of the deal, we will be in a position to demand catch up provisions as part of bargaining which can resume as early as January 2029.

If the economy does poorly and inflation is lower than expected, the provisions of the deal will lock in modest wage increase that might be otherwise unachievable without another prolonged dispute.

All TMAs can be found here or on page 40 of the Memorandum of Settlement.

The first year of the agreement has a wage increase of 3% effective April 1, 2025. The employer is responsible for paying this out. Generally, the employer applies the new wage rates first and then calculates retroactive pay. The application of the new wage rates should be very straightforward. Generally, retroactive wage increases may take longer as they require payroll to do individual calculations.

We have negotiated that the employer will pay retroactive wages within a “reasonable amount of time”, and our committee is ready to act if the employer delays the process.

Once a tentative collective agreement has been reached during or after a strike or lockout, a “return to work agreement” is often negotiated between the union and the employer. This type of agreement sets out the terms on which employees will return to work, including how any earned entitlements, timelines and other aspects of the employment relationship will be treated during the strike/lockout period.

In this agreement, a “full withdrawal of work” means that you did not report for work for any period of time, even an hour, during the strike period due to your strike activity. It does not mean that you were on strike for the full strike period.

Yes. As of October 27, 2025, you should be reporting to work in the same way you did before your strike activity. The union has paused all strike activity pending results of the ratification vote on the tentative agreement.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraphs 1, 2, 6.

No. The Employer has agreed that they will not bring any action against employees for any conduct related to legitimate strike activity during the Strike Period.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 20

No. If you are on an approved leave, you should return to work at the end of that leave.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 2

If you do not report to work by November 10, 2025, and have not informed the employer of the reason for your absence, you may be presumed to have abandoned your position, per Article 10.10 of the collective agreement.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 5

No. If you worked a flex schedule, or a schedule with earned time off, until the strike period, you may continue with that schedule on your return to work.

For example, if you do not work on Mondays due to your earned time off schedule, you may continue with that schedule.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 11.

You should talk to a union steward. Disputes over the interpretation, application, or violation of the return to work agreement may be addressed through filing a grievance.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 23.

Over the strike period, the union took legal action against the employer, including on the grounds that the employer was not properly paying employees for the statutory holidays, as well as not adhering to its obligations under the Essential Services Order.

As part of the return to work agreement, and pending ratification of the tentative agreement, the union and the employer have agreed to not proceed with their legal claims arising from the strike.

If the tentative agreement is ratified, the union will not proceed with its application involving statutory holidays. In part, this is as the remedy will be met if the employer pays Holiday Pay to employees, including those who were on strike, as negotiated in the return to work agreement.

In a decision involving the union’s allegations that the employer was not adhering to its obligations under the Essential Services Order, the Labour Board ordered an investigation into the employer’s practices (Government of British Columbia, 2025 BCLRB 206 at para 59). As a negotiated term of the return to work agreement, the union and the employer agreed to request that the Board pause that investigation unless notified otherwise.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 21. and Government of British Columbia, 2025 BCLRB 206:

If you did not report for work due to strike activity, you will not be paid wages by the employer for that time.

The return to work agreement governs the employment relationship for the period of time you were on strike.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 13.

All probationary periods, trial assessment periods and other qualifying periods interrupted by the strike period and any unexpired portions will resume when the employee returns to work.

For example, if you had 1 month remaining in a trial assessment period before the Strike, you will continue with the remaining 1 month on your return to work after the strike period.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 14.

No. The union has negotiated that regular employees will continue to accrue their earned entitlements under the collective agreement during the strike period. This includes:

• seniority,
• sick leave,
• annual vacation accrual and vacation pay,
• pay increments, and
• health and welfare eligibility.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 8.

For auxiliary employees or shift work employees, your accrual of earned entitlements under the collective agreement will be based on the hours you were scheduled to work during the strike period. This applies to:

• seniority,
• sick leave,
• annual vacation accrual and vacation pay,
• pay increments, and
• health and welfare eligibility.

For example, if you were scheduled to work until October 24, 2025, but you did not work those hours because your worksite was on strike as of October 10, 2025, the hours you were scheduled to work between October 10 and October 24 will still count toward your seniority and other earned entitlements.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 9.

No. Absences due to strike activity during the strike period will not be considered a break in service.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 10.

No. Due to the Public Services Pension Plan rules, missed service or the employer’s portion of missed service during a work stoppage (i.e., strike or lockout) is not pensionable time.

Further information: PSPP - union work stoppage and your pension

Eligibility for STIIP and LTD is not impacted by the strike period. Eligibility for STIIP and LTD is determined by the benefit plan.

You should apply for STIIP/LTD if an issue came up during the strike period that you believe qualifies you for STIIP or LTD.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 12.

Vacation that was scheduled before the strike period should be taken as scheduled.

If you were denied vacation pay during the strike period, or your vacation was cancelled, you will have the opportunity to reschedule that vacation.

Your annual vacation accrual and vacation pay will continue during the strike period.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraphs 8 and 18.

As part of the tentative agreement, the parties have negotiated that employees will be given a one-time option for full payout of their archived vacation bank up to and including the 2024 vacation year. If the tentative agreement is ratified, the timeline for employees will be 60 days from the ratification date.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 19.

Yes. Whether you were at work or on strike, the employer will pay all employees for the designated holidays during the strike period (September 30 and October 13, 2025).

If you were still at work on September 30 and/or October 13 due to working essential service shifts or because your worksite was not yet struck, the employer will compensate you for those days as designated holidays under the collective agreement.

If you were not working on September 30 and/or October 13 due to your strike activity, the employer will pay you Holiday Pay for those days. The employer has agreed to pay holiday pay to employees regardless of whether they are entitled to it under the collective agreement.

The employer’s payment of holiday pay for the designated holidays is in addition to the strike pay paid by the union.

Further information: return to work agreement, paragraph 15.