BCGEU makes progress in dispute with United Way of the Lower Mainland

Smith was quick to acknowledge the efforts of the Board of UWLM: "I'm looking forward to seeing a positive resolution." 

Vancouver (04 May 2016) — The BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) reports that it has been making positive progress in the ongoing dispute with the United Way of the Lower Mainland (UWLM) regarding their Better at Home program and the role of BCGEU/NUPGE members who work in community health.

Dispute resolution protocol signed

Stephanie Smith, BCGEU President, Carla Dempsey, Vice-President of Community Health Services, and Dan Cahill, BCGEU Director of Advocacy have been working hard to design a fair framework that could lead to a resolution of the differences between the parties.

The dispute resolution protocol was signed by both the BCGEU/NUPGE and UWLM. Chris Sullivan, a well-respected arbitrator, has been appointed to chair a dispute resolution committee that will also include 2 representatives each from the BCGEU/NUPGE and UWLM. Carla Dempsey and Dan Cahill will be the BCGEU/NUPGE representatives.

BCGEU/NUPGE looking for way to seamlessly transfer clients to community health workers

Smith was quick to acknowledge the efforts of the Board of UWLM. "I'm looking forward to seeing a positive resolution," she said. "We'd like to see an agreement that recognizes the efforts of Better at Home volunteers, but has a seamless way to transfer clients to community health workers if they have a publicly mandated care plan."

Meetings are scheduled to begin shortly, and members will be updated as the process progresses. 

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 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