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If you are a community social service worker who has not as yet received your wage increase, contact your union immediately so that a grievance can be filed on your behalf.
Vancouver (11 July 2013) – The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA), the multi-union bargaining association that represents community social services workers in B.C., is working to ensure that all community social service workers receive the wage increase they are entitled to as of April 1, 2013 without any cuts to agency programs or services.
Government has not produced promised funding; Agencies are not paying wage increases without it
The bargaining association learned that a small number of employers are not paying the 1.5 per cent wage increase that was agreed to in April because the agencies have not received government funding to pay the negotiated wages. Some employers are deciding to reduce the number of hours of work and/or cutting programs and services instead.
The funding issues concern a small number of agencies — largely in the General Services subsector — that have not received sufficient funding from the Ministry of Children and Families (MCFD). Other agencies are not affected.
Increases negotiated in good faith under government's own co-operative gains mandate
This is unacceptable. Wage increases were negotiated in good faith and everyone deserves their increase as of April 1, without cuts to programs or services. The pay raises were negotiated and ratified within the government’s so-called co-operative gains mandate, which identified cost savings to fund the pay raises. However, MCFD has failed to provide bridge funding to cover the payroll increase until the cost savings can be achieved in two to three years.
The unions representing affected members are working to rectify this problem as soon as possible. The concerns have been communicated to the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) and to the B.C. government directly. The unions are working to confirm the MCFD funding as soon as possible.
The bargaining association is also meeting with CSSEA this week to address this issue.
Not received wage increase yet? Contact your union!
Meanwhile, if you are a community social service worker who has not as yet received your wage increase, please contact your union immediately so that a grievance can be filed on your behalf.
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association bargains on behalf of 10,000 unionized community social service workers in British Columbia that are represented by B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Hospital Employees' Union (HEU), Health Sciences Association of B.C. (HSABC/NUPGE) and six other unions.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE