Click here to find info on COVID-19

  1. News - BC General Employees' Union
  2. Settlement, post-season job status of Seasonal Regular wildfire employees - BCGEU

Settlement, post-season job status of Seasonal Regular wildfire employees - BCGEU

Published on August 03, 2021

We realize you're in the middle of an intense wildfire season and want to thank you for your service and professionalism. Although it's not the easiest time to communicate, we wish to provide an important labour relations update.
 
As you're likely aware, grievances were filed by a number BCGEU members working as seasonal regular employees of the BC Wildfire Service who, when working past wildfire season, were treated as auxiliary employees rather than as seasonal regular employees.
 
Our union and the Public Service Agency (PSA) have now resolved this issue. The following is are the terms and conditions of the settlement:

  1. If a Seasonal Regular (SR) works for the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) past the Seasonal Regular term, into the fall or winter, they will maintain SR status.
  2. The new offer or extension letter from BCWS will indicate clearly that the work is an extension of SR work per paragraph 3(h) of MOU 35, will specify and the classification of the position they are offered or extended in.
  3. The Employer will credit regular seniority hours to SR employees who were auxiliary within BCWS in the winter positions in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The Employer will provide a list of those employees to the Union. The Employer will make best efforts to provide this list within 30 days of signing this agreement.
  4. The Employer will activate health and welfare benefits as per paragraph 3(a) of MOU 35 effective the date of signing. The Employer will not make any retroactive adjustments or reimburse out of pocket benefit expenses, as the auxiliary employees received the appropriate Health & Welfare Allowance.
  5. The Employer will not make any retroactive adjustments to vacation accruals of impacted SR employees, as those employees received vacation pay in lieu as auxiliary employees.

If you have any questions or concerns about how this settlement applies to you, please contact the BCGEU Kelowna Area Office at [email protected].
 
In solidarity,
 
Stephanie Smith, President
Rob Davis, Vice President, Component 20 (Environmental, Technical and Operations)


Download PDF of notice here

UWU/MoveUP