Tentative Agreement Highlights
Highlights of the agreement include:
- Term of approximately 13 months, from date of ratification to April 30, 2023
- Wage increases of between 9.4% and 11.4% ($1.79/hour to $2.16/hour) over the term of the agreement:
- Classifications with wage grid steps reach the top step sooner—now after 5,850 hours worked (down from 9,750 hours)
- Adds Easter Monday and Boxing Day as paid holidays
- Annual vacation improvements effective January 1, 2023:
- Four weeks after 10 years (used to be after 15 years)
- Five weeks after 15 years (new)
- Adds a voluntary 1% matched group RRSP
- As of June 1, 2022, part-time regular employees are eligible for health and welfare benefits if they work at least 18 hours per week (down from working at least 30 hours per week)
- Seven days’ paid sick leave for full-time regular employees (up from five)
- Bereavement leave for spouse and dependent child increased to five paid days (up from three)
- No concessions—current/previous benefits and other terms and conditions of employment are maintained
- A ‘complete’ collective agreement, including language regarding bullying and harassment and access to the grievance and arbitration processes to protect employees’ rights
The following terms are also included in the memorandum of settlement:
- No contracting out of work that would result in layoff of bargaining unit employees during the life of the agreement
- Staged transition over three years from taking vacation in the year it is earned, to earning it in one year and taking it in the next
We will now work to prepare a ratification document consisting of the entire tentative agreement. This document will be emailed to you, and printed copies will be distributed at the worksite, a day or two before we hold a ratification information meeting.
Save the Date – Ratification Information Meeting – Friday, March 11, 2022 at 7:30 PM
A ratification information meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 11, 2022 at 7:30 PM. The meeting will be via Zoom, and a detailed meeting invitation will be sent later this week. If you are not able to attend the meeting, you are invited and encouraged to reach out directly to one or more members of your bargaining committee so you may hear the committee’s recommendation and ask any questions you might have.
At the ratification information meeting, your bargaining committee will recommend unanimously that you vote “yes” to ratify the tentative agreement. We will share additional reasons for this recommendation at the meeting. Members at the meeting will be able to ask questions and make comments before voting opens.
The ratification vote will take place by secure electronic means. If you do not receive regular electronic communication from the union, it probably means the BCGEU does not have your email address on file. If this applies to you, please provide your email address to a worksite member of your bargaining committee so we can ensure you receive your voting credential.
We look forward to meeting with you soon to share the details of our big gains in our tentative first collective agreement!
In solidarity,
Sandy Paine, Bargaining Committee Member
Linda Richardson, Bargaining Committee Member
Ryan Stewart, Staff Representative, Negotiations
Download PDF of notice here
UWU/MoveUP
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