New deal in effect until 2022: Union
The BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) said that workers in the Community Social Services (CSS) sector voted by 85.7 per cent in favour to ratify a new collective agreement on Aug. 26.
“After 16 years of cuts and wage restraint leading the sector into crisis, this agreement with a government that wants to put people first provides a foundation to build on,” said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU president. “We are pleased to see substantial gains to support the vital work CSS workers do. However, the low support among the membership for the Indigenous Services contract demonstrates how much more needs to be done.”
The three-year contract provides significant compensation increases for workers, said the union.
CSS consists of three collective agreements: community living workers ratified their agreement by 82.3 per cent; general services ratified by 95.8 per cent; and indigenous services ratified by 50.9 per cent, according to BCGEU.
The ratified agreement is the result of negotiations between the 10-union Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) and the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA), said the union.
The new collective agreement will be in effect from April 1, 2019, until March 31, 2022.
The BCGEU represents about two-thirds of the unionized community social service workers in British Columbia.
