CSS Bargaining Update – Five Weeks in
Last week was week five of negotiations between the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) and the Community Social Services Employers' Association (CSSEA).
Negotiations opened on Tuesday, March 1st by recognizing that March is Community Social Services Month, a time to honour and reflect on the important work that community social service professionals do for our social safety net and for communities.
So far, our talks have focussed on non-monetary interests including casual employees, probationary employees, flexibility and working conditions.
Discussions continue to be collaborative and positive. The Committee is focused on bringing to the table the priorities that all members have identified.
The Committee is made up of HSA members and representatives of nine other unions in CSSBA tasked with negotiating new terms of a collective agreement for you and 17,000 other community social services workers employed in every community across the province. The current agreement is set to expire on March 31.
This week, the Committee has expanded in-person participation, maintaining use of a hybrid model. Due to COVID-19, this round of bargaining looks different from any other. The Committee has been provided with rapid antigen tests and N95 masks to ensure safe, in-person negotiations.
Please remind your coworkers to sign up to get updates by email and ensure that your contact information is current, so you can get regular updates during bargaining. Use the following link to provide updates or sign up:
https://www.hsabc.org/contact/member-contact-update-form