Community Social Service members:

Limited opportunity to buy your past pension service to increase your guaranteed retirement income

Summary:

BURNABY—Your multi-union bargaining association 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.

We have learned that a small number of employers are not paying the 1.5% wage increase that was agreed to in April, because they have not received government funding.

The B.C. Liberal government’s failure to properly fund the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club in Kelowna-Westside may lead to youth service cuts, CUPE and the B.C.

BURNABY—The latest round of province-wide bargaining for the community social services sector has officially concluded with BCGEU members in Aboriginal Services voting in favour of a two-year contract that provides a modest wage increase while protecting health and welfare benefits.

Aboriginal Service workers ratified the tentative agreement by 86 per cent.

The Aboriginal Services collective agreement is now in effect as the Community Social Services Employers Association has also ratified the agreement.

Highlights of the new agreement include:

For all employ

Community Living and General Service workers ratify agreement – Aboriginal Services ratification vote ongoing

BURNABY—Community social service workers have voted in favour of a two-year contract that provides a wage increase while protecting health and welfare benefits.

Community Living workers ratified the tentative agreement by 71 percent. General Services ratified by 84 percent.

A coalition of unions and child care advocates across Canada has launched a new website to raise awareness about the need for universal child care in this country.

The Rethink Child Care website is available in both English and French.  The site includes many user-friendly features, including videos and news articles, all of which are available in both languages.

Telephone Town Hall on proposed settlement scheduled for March 21, 7 pm – 8 pm

BURNABY—Representatives of the Community Social Services Bargaining Association met earlier this week to nail down the timing and process for upcoming ratification votes, which will be held between mid-March and the third week of April.

Members should check with their respective local executives for information regarding dates for the ratification vote for their local.

Community Living, General Services deal includes pay increase, labour market adjustment, across-the-board improvements

BURNABY—After a marathon bargaining session of 13 days, the multi-union Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) has reached a tentative collective agreement with the employer.

The two-year proposed agreement is fair and reasonable and achieves our members’ key priorities, including an across-the-board wage increase while protecting health and welfare benefits. Highlights include:

A wage increase for all employees:

With some progress made at the bargaining table over the past several days, discussions between the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) and the CSS Employers Association continue and may go into the weekend.

The CSSBA bargaining team hopes to reach a fair and reasonable agreement, including a wage increase, and continues to resist the pattern of settlements in other public sector agreements.

BURNABY—A display ad running today in several Lower Mainland newspapers pokes fun at a provincial government website that advertises career opportunities in the public sector.

On the WorkBC website, a page dedicated to community social services workers describes their occupation size as “Excellent” but salary and job stability as “Below Average” and future prospects as “Limited.”