The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) and the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) have secured dates in mid-May to begin contract talks for a renewed collective agreement covering 23,000 health care workers, including about 1,500 HEU members.
The collective agreement, which expired on March 31, sets out the terms and conditions of employment, including wages, benefits, working hours, health and safety, and grievance procedures. This contract stays in effect until a new one is negotiated and ratified.
In recent weeks, the multi-union CSSBA has been busy preparing a package proposal that reflects the membership’s priorities as identified in pre-bargaining surveys and at union bargaining conferences.
HEU held a community social services bargaining conference last November and member priorities were forwarded to the CSSBA bargaining committee for consideration at their bargaining conference in January.
The BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) is the lead negotiator at the CSSBA table, and HEU is represented on the bargaining team by members David Huespe, Brenda Orencia and Cheryl McLachlan, and servicing reps Christina Lloyd-Jones and Shawna Lockhart.
HEU’s community social services members are encouraged to keep their contact information updated – heu.org/change-contact-information – to stay informed about bargaining.
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association includes BCGEU (the lead), CUPE, HEU (1,500 members), LiUNA, HSA, CLAC, USW, UFCW, and BCNU, covering 23,000 workers across the province.