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Employment security provisions renewed and improved within constraints of provincially-ordered wage freeze.
Vancouver (30 March 2010) - The British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) has reached a tentative agreement for its 29,000 public service employees. The two year deal followed a marathon bargaining session during the weekend.
"This has been an exceptionally difficult round of negotiations but the tentative agreement we are recommending to the members is reasonable given the difficult economic situation facing the province," says union president Darryl Walker.
"Under the terms of the tentative agreement, employment security provisions have been renewed and improved. This was the number one issue for our members. Reaching the employment security package was key. We would not have signed a tentative agreement without it," says Walker.
Highlights of the deal include:
- Two-year agreement expiring March 31, 2012.
- No general wage increase because of the province's two-year wage freeze but a continuation of current temporary market adjustments.
- Improved extended health benefits, such as hearing aids and leave for family illness in the case of illness or hospitalization of an employee's spouse or leave for care for adult dependent children.
- A new process to address workplace bullying.
The union will hold information meetings starting the week of April 12. Ratification voting by members will start the week of April 19.
The 29,000 BCGEU members covered by the talks provide important services around the province. They include child protection workers, health care workers, environment officials, corrections officers and sheriffs, conservation officers, public liquor store employees and administrative workers across the province.
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