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Aboriginal Services deal includes pay increase, labour market adjustment.
Vancouver (25 March 2013) – A tentative agreement for members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) working in Aboriginal Services was reached on March 20. The two-year agreement achieves members' key priorities, including wage increases while protecting health and welfare benefits.
All employees working in delegated aboriginal service programs will receive a wage increase of one per cent on April 1, 2012, one per cent on August 15, 2012, one per cent in April 2013 and one per cent in December 2013.
For all employees not working in delegated aboriginal service programs, they will receive wage increases of 1.5 per cent on April 1, 2013 and 1.5 per cent on January 1, 2014. There will be an additional one per cent wage increase for all employees at Step 1 within their Grid on April 1, 2013.
There will also be a labour market adjustment review for all Aboriginal Service, General Service and Community Living classifications.
The proposed agreement covers community-based social services workers in Aboriginal Services. Community Social Service workers in the two other sub-sectors, Community Living and General Services, reached a tentative collective agreement on March 2.
“Despite the government’s restrictive mandate, your bargaining committee fought to get the best agreement possible for the caring professionals that support vulnerable Aboriginal families,” said Community Social Services Bargaining Association Chair Patsy Harmston.
The bargaining committee is recommending that members vote in favour of the proposed settlement.
“We continue to believe that the government must provide proper funding for the programs that support vulnerable families and the workers that support them,” said Harmston. “Our three months of rotating strike action sent a clear message to government. We want to express our gratitude and thanks to all the workers who took to the picket lines in support of our sector and our bargaining objectives.”
Workers in community social services were without a contract since March 31, 2012 and are the lowest paid in the broad public service.
BCGEU represents over 200 Aboriginal service and social workers at Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS), La société de les Enfants Michif (Métis Family Services) in Surrey, Island Métis Family and Community Services Society (Victoria), Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family & Community Services (Kamloops), Haida Child and Family Services Society (Massett and Skidegate) and Northwest Inter-Nation Child and Community Service Society (Prince Rupert and Terrace).
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