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  2. Welltower (Sunwood) - Bargaining Update #4: Tentative Agreement Reached - BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)

Welltower (Sunwood) - Bargaining Update #4: Tentative Agreement Reached - BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)

Published on September 26, 2024

Your bargaining committee for Sunwood is pleased to report that it has reached a tentative agreement with the employer. This agreement provides substantial gains for members and is a big step towards fairness with employees of the same employer doing the same work at different locations.

We are confident that we only got this deal because of the strong strike mandate you delivered and your willingness to go on strike for the fair deal you deserve. Your bargaining committee recommends that you vote "yes" to ratify this agreement.

Highlights include:

  • Term of May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2026
  • Total wage increases of 8% cumulative (8.15% compounded), with full retroactivity for 2024:
    • January 1, 2024 – 5% (3% general wage increase + 2% special wage adjustment)
    • January 1, 2025 – 3% (2.5% general wage increase + 0.5% special wage adjustment)
  • Lower minimum hours to be eligible for health and welfare benefits — 30 hours biweekly (down from 18 hours weekly)
  • Eligibility for four weeks’ vacation after eight years (used to be after 10 years)
  • 13 paid holidays (up from 12)
  • Additional paid 15-minute break when working 10 hours or more
  • Minimum four hours’ pay on callback (used to be no minimum)
  • Improved seniority-based overtime callout language
  • Recall period extended to 18 months (up from 12 months)
  • Job postings to be made available electronically
  • Improved harassment, discrimination, and bullying language

Again, your bargaining committee encourages you to vote "yes" to ratify this tentative agreement.

We will send a complete ratification document and information on the ratification information meeting and vote within the next week or so.

In solidarity,

Holley Gabara, Bargaining Committee Member
Cherie Laronde, Bargaining Committee Member
Ryan Stewart, Staff Representative, Negotiations Department

 

P.S. In case you're curious how we got here, as our previous bulletin said talks broke off and we were preparing to strike: The Union asked the Employer to agree to extend the period in which a strike could be started under the current strike mandate by three weeks, to October 19, 2024. This would have allowed essential services levels to be set on a less rushed timeline without the strike mandate expiring. The Employer agreed on the condition the Union would participate in another half-day of mediated bargaining to try to reach a contract settlement. The Union accepted this condition, the parties continued bargaining on September 24th, and by the 26th we had a deal.

Download PDF of bulletin here



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