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Community social service workers care for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. This new collective agreement goes a long way in recognizing their important contributions.
Vancouver (19 Feb. 2014) — Frontline caring professionals across B.C. will get a much needed wage increases during the life of a new collective agreement now that it has been ratified across the province.
Community social services workers ratify collective agreement
“Every day, the caring professionals in community living, family services and the entire community social services sector support the most vulnerable members of our communities. They deserve recognition and fair wages, but have been falling behind for a decade. We are putting a deliberate end to that,” said BCGEU President Darryl Walker.
BCGEU/NUPGE leads the multi-union bargaining association that negotiated the 11.5 per cent wage increase. The lift will bring community social services workers pay in line with workers with similar roles and responsibilities in other sectors, such as community health. But even workers with jobs that don’t compare directly to community health will get increases of the same magnitude.
Community-based social services provide supports, services, and resources to vulnerable families and individuals across the province. They include community living workers supporting youths and adults with developmental disabilities, youth-at-risk, infant and child development, women services, substance addictions, First Nations, and employment services, among others.
Government commits to funding the improvemtns
The B.C. government has committed to fully fund the wage increases.
Other highlights include:
- improvements to health benefits, including vision care
- increases to mileage and meal allowance reimbursements
- current provisions for employment security are maintained for the five years of the agreement
- an Economic Stability Dividend in four of the five years that may provide further wage improvements
BCGEU/NUPGE is the lead union in the community social services sector, representing around 8,000 workers. The other unions included in the multi-union Community Social Services Bargaining Association who were at the table during this round of negotiations are: the Health Sciences Association of B.C. (HSABC/NUPGE), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU) and six other unions.
NUPGE
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