We have exciting news to share. Thanks to our union's tireless advocacy, your employer has just agreed to $10,000 per year Recruitment and Retention Incentive Payment for workers in Component 1.
 
The new incentive, announced today by our union and The Public Service Agency (PSA), applies to all classifications in Sheriff Services, Adult Custody Corrections and Youth Custody Corrections. These positions perform crucial roles in the justice system and both our union and the employer understand their significant recruitment and retention challenges.
 
This incentive will be paid out twice per year with the first payment of $5,000 effective July 1, 2023. The first payment will be based on service from Jan 1 2023 to June 30 2023. This Memorandum of Agreement provides specific details around the term of the agreement, eligibility and amount of the payment. 
 
The PSA advises us they are working to process these payments as quickly as possible for all eligible employees.
 
Further information will be provided around the timing of these payments once confirmed and the BCGEU will work with the PSA to address any issues during implementation. 
 
We would like to thank all Component 1 executive members who fought extremely hard over the past several years sounding the alarm about severe recruitment and retention problems in Component 1, Correctional and Sheriff Services. Your Component 1 executive members raised the issue during bargaining, through ministry Article 29 Committees and at Corrections and Sheriffs Provincial Joint Union Management 3.1 Committee meetings. Our union's elected leadership pressed government to address the issue in meetings with senior staff from the ministry, the PSA and in direct meetings with the Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General Mike Farnworth. BCGEU President Stephanie Smith, Component 1 Vice President Dean Purdy and Sheriffs members of Component 1 recently met with Attorney General Niki Sharma to discuss these ongoing problems. 
 
Today, we're celebrating the results of all that hard work. This incentive is a major victory and a powerful reminder that when we stand together as part of our union, we can achieve significant results.
 
In solidarity,
 
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice President
Stephanie Smith, President 
Michael Eso, Director