The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) bargaining committee met with the Community Social Service Employers’ Association (CSSEA) for six more days of negotiations last month. By February 18, they had agreed to and signed-off on eight more non-monetary proposals.
Despite this progress, important monetary items remain unresolved. The CSSBA bargaining committee will be using all leverage available to advocate for the solutions and priorities members empowered the committee to advance when talks resume this month. The bargaining team remains committed to pushing for a deal that reflects the CSSBA’s bargaining priorities.
The next scheduled bargaining dates are March 23 to 27. Between now and then, the caucus for the lead negotiating union, the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU), will continue to meet and refine their goals and reconvene strategic meetings with the entire CSSBA bargaining committee. The HEU bargaining committee is continuing to work hard in support of HEU members’ priorities at the table.
Conversations specific to Indigenous Service (IS) negotiations are on pause until the committee sees more progress at the main table with General Services and Community Living. The IS goals remain the same: a fully funded collective agreement that provides equitable compensation for Indigenous workers who do the same or similar work in direct government services, along with language that truly acknowledges and respects Indigenous lived experience, including paid time off.
To effectively advance more IS proposals, the committee first needs to get closer to agreement with the employers on substantive monetary issues at the main table.
The CSSBA bargaining committee and CSSEA are also looking into bargaining dates for April, in case they are needed.
Public sector update
While the CSSBA continues to make headway in negotiations, here’s what is happening in other public sector bargaining associations:
- Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) - On December 19, the FBA ratified a four-year collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC).
- Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) – The HSPBA bargaining committee has reached a tentative agreement with their employers and a ratification vote is underway.
- Community Health Bargaining Association (CBA) - The CBA bargaining committee has reached a tentative agreement with their employers and a ratification vote will begin soon.
- Nurses Bargaining Association (NBA) - The NBA is bargaining their main package of proposals.
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association includes BCGEU (the lead), CUPE, HEU (1,500 members), LiUNA, HSA, CLAC, USW, UFCW, and BCNU, covering 23,000 health care workers across the province.