On May 7, 2020 the federal government announced it was working with the provinces on a cost-shared, temporary "pandemic pay" program to top up the wages of select essential frontline workers. Through this program more than 250,000 frontline workers will receive a lump-sum payment of about $4 per hour for a 16-week period, starting on March 15, 2020 and ending July 5, 2020. To be eligible, employees must have worked straight-time hours anytime during the 16-week period starting March 15, 2020.

Eligible health care workplaces include:

• Hospitals
• Long-term care and assisted-living facilities
• Provincial mental health facilities
• Provincially funded home and community care services
• Public health units
• Primary care clinics
• Diagnostic facilities
• Community clinics
• Diagnostic and treatment centres

Eligible workers will receive the payment directly through their employer and do not need to apply. For more information on temporary pandemic pay program, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/pandemicpay 

Component 8 administrative staff are eligible to receive pandemic pay however others in the union doing frontline work are not, so our work is not done. While our union continues to push for broader inclusion in the pandemic pay program, members can sign our petition calling on MPs and MLAs to acknowledge that all frontline workers deserve pandemic pay: https://bcgeu.good.do/premium-pay/stand-up-for-workers/

Thank you for all you do and let's continue to support each other as we move through this together. 

In solidarity,

Scott DeLong
Vice President, Component 8

Download PDF of notice here.

UWU/MoveUP