HEU postpones ratification votes, plans Friday rally in Victoria A last minute flip-flop by community social services employers on the agreement that ended an eleven week strike last month has led to the postponement of ratification votes by the Hospital Employees' Union. In discussions that started last week, the Community Social Services Employers Association has sought a ten-fold increase in the number of care-providers excluded from the Residential Care Worker classification and the accompanying wage hikes for these traditionally low-paid workers. HEU has postponed scheduled ratification votes in Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, Port Alberni and Richmond until agreement on the classification issue is reached. HEU community social services members will also hold a rally in Victoria on Friday at noon in front of the offices of the Public Sector Employers' Council on Belleville (across from the B.C. Legislative Buildings). "CSSEA appears to be more interested in playing games than restoring stable labour-management relations," says HEU secretary-business manager Chris Allnutt. "Victoria should tell them that bargaining is over — our members want to get on with the ratification of their new collective agreement and concentrate on the important task of providing care to their clients and residents." HEU represents 850 community social services care-providers who work in adult day programs and in group homes with developmentally disabled adults.