After a year of hard work, the negotiating team was ready to wrap things up when an Order in Council derailed the final stages of bargaining for Local 22005 and Rising Sun Community Residential Treatment Facilities. The Order in Council legally changed who was bargaining for the Employer and how bargaining was to be conducted by the Union team. Untangling this highly unusual order to ensure Rising Sun members continue to be represented, and to ensure the work done to date is built upon, has been complicated.
Here’s what Rising Sun members need to know:
The BCGEU (British Columbia General Employees Union) would like to represent the PSAC Local 22005 members at Rising Sun. All that is necessary is a membership meeting and a vote to choose to join BCGEU. Members do not have to sign cards or start over; they remain unionized. However, a bit more patience is needed – but it will be well worth the wait.
What are the advantages if Rising Sun members choose to join BCGEU?
- Access to province-wide working conditions, and benefits through an already established sector agreement.
- Access to government wide job opportunities competitions before they go public, job transfers etc.
- Other items like enhanced professional recognition, province wide wage rates and shift work premiums.
- Standard leave provisions, healthcare benefits and a solid dental plan as well as a best-in-class pension plan also form part of the sector agreement.
- Advocacy protections like Health and Safety Provisions, a grievance (complaint procedure) and support from the new Union.
- Pooling resources with a much larger group of workers with common interests in your workplace and in the government sector.
A copy of the most recent provincial sector agreement is available here, which expired last year.
What are the next steps?
- Rising Sun members don’t have to sign a new membership card – they are already unionized. BCGEU is currently signing cards with the non-unionized workers at all Rising Sun CRF locations and would like to combine the two groups together in one go.
- To change Unions the membership will need to have a general local meeting.
- At this meeting, both Unions will be available to discuss the options and members in attendance will be able ask questions prior to holding a vote.
Current working conditions remain in place for Rising Sun members and cannot be any less or different that what they have now.
Expect more information to follow. In the interim, if you have any questions, please send them to PSAC Negotiator Erna Post at Poste@psac-afpc.com. Stay tuned!