Hi everyone 👋 

You haven't heard from us in a few weeks, and we wanted to touch base. As you know, bargaining for our next collective agreement started late May. Since our last update, we've met with the Community Social Services Employers' Association multiple times. Progress on non-monetary proposals continues! While we don't have bargaining dates scheduled again until August, we'll be keeping in touch over the month, so stay tuned to your email. 

Who's Representing You? 

We know updates like this run the risk of sounding a bit redundant. All of us on your bargaining committee have been in your position before, waiting for news. Negotiations can feel like a distant world, and we want to do everything we can to close that gap between the table and your day-to-day, starting with putting faces to the names that you see at the bottom of these very emails! 

Who's at the table and what frontline perspectives are we bringing? Just click on the button below, to access your committee members' profiles, including our classifications and where we work! 

Just like you, we are from community social services; at the bargaining table we lead with the same care and tenacity that we bring to our clients and our advocacy. The workplace improvements that we're pushing for at the bargaining table are as much informed by the surveys that you filled out, as they are by the conversations we have had with you over the months and years, on breaks and in union meetings. 

As a refresher, three of our big contract priorities this round include: 

• • Meaningful Wage Increases: 
    - Continuing our fight for full pay equity with workers in the health and public sector 
    - New shift premiums for night, evening and weekend work; 

• • And health Benefit Improvements 

For much of the first month, we've been finding our rhythm at the table. Discussions are happening in a lot of different pockets too. We aren't just meeting with the employer; we're meeting as a BCGEU team to clarify and refine our goals, ensuring they're still timely and our strategy supports them. We're also meeting with the other member unions of the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) to build consensus and power. 

You might have also noticed in our committee member profiles that some of us are Co-Chairs. There's one Co-Chair representing each of the sub-sectors in CSSBA. If you send us a bargaining question via email that's directly related to proposals for one of these sub-sectors, these three committee members are the experts you'll hear from. 

Thank you for the continued support, and we'll talk soon. 

In solidarity, 

Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) Negotiating Committee 

Your BCGEU Bargaining Committee Team: 
Andrea Duncan – BCGEU – Chair, CSSBA Bargaining Committee 
Pamela Pye – BCGEU – Co-Chair, BCGEU Community Living Services Caucus 
Kari Bepple – BCGEU – Co-Chair, BCGEU General Services Caucus 
John Manthorpe – BCGEU – Co-Chair, BCGEU Indigenous Services Caucus 
Sharon Campbell – BCGEU 
Jessica Daigneault – BCGEU
April Duffield – BCGEU 
Tammy Lewis – BCGEU
Michelle Nestoruk – BCGEU
Angela Reed – BCGEU 
Andrew Stahl – BCGEU
Ash Vomacka – BCGEU 
Kate Banky – BCGEU 
Wynn Hartfelder – BCGEU 
Sharon Hollingsworth – BCGEU 

Ryan Stewart 
Chief Negotiator, CSSBA
Staff Representative, BCGEU Negotiations Department 

The BCGEU has developed an info hub for members during Public Sector Bargaining 2025. Check out the Community Social Services bargaining hub here.

The website features educational materials such as information about the bargaining process, public service FAQs, a summary of key information this round of bargaining, media coverage, and more. 

The website is intended to help members quickly find information and updates about the negotiation of their next agreement and provide members all they need to know about bargaining.

Update your Contact Information

If you know of anyone who is not receiving BCGEU email updates, please refer them to the BCGEU member portal to sign-up so they can receive bargaining updates. Take a moment to make sure all of your contact information is up to date as well! 

UWU/MoveUP