More than 19,000 workers in the nine-union Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) – including about 1,500 HEU members – are currently voting on the terms of a new collective agreement that would be in effect from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025.
Voting on the tentative agreement ends on March 27 at 4:00 p.m. for HEU’s community social services members. Ratification vote information can be found on the union’s website.
The tentative agreement includes wage protections to adjust the April 1, 2023 general wage increase based on the impact of inflation in the previous 12 months. It would go into effect starting the first full pay period after April 1, 2023.
Recently released British Columbia inflation figures confirm that the maximum wage protections in the CSSBA collective agreement will be triggered, and if their contract is ratified, members will receive the full 6.75 per cent wage increase, combining the 5.5 per cent general wage increase and the 1.25 per cent cost of living adjustment.
This brings the total general wage increases, for the first two years of the contract, to more than 10 per cent for most members, on top of additional increases related to low wage redress and wage comparability.
If the contract is ratified, the CSSBA bargaining committee will work with the Community Social Services Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC) to ensure members receive both the 2022 and 2023 wage increases as soon as possible, including retroactive pay.
To stay informed, members need to keep their contact information updated through the HEU website.
Bargaining bulletins can be found on the HEU website.