Community social services bargaining is on a scheduled break this week and will resume next week at the bargaining table.
Before the break, your bargaining committee started to talk about monetary priorities with the employers’ representatives. We expect those discussions to continue when bargaining resumes.
The bargaining committee has been hard at work at the negotiations table with the employers’ association ensuring that member priorities are heard. The committee is taking a break from negotiations and has scheduled the next round of talks for the week of June 20.
Here are some key updates about the bargaining process and a few frequently asked questions.
What is the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA), and the Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA)?
The Community Social Services (CSS) Bargaining Committee is back at the bargaining table and has begun to discuss monetary priorities with the employers’ association.
The monetary package was thoughtful and reflective of the priorities identified for the CSS negotiating committee. During the first two years of the pandemic, community social service workers were there and are still there supporting children, families, and individuals in our communities across the province that have needed us the most.
Community social services bargaining will resume next week, starting May 16th. The Bargaining Committee will continue to discuss the issues that members have identified as priorities to the negotiating table with employer representatives.
The Community Social Services bargaining committee is currently back at the table with the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) this week for scheduled negotiations until April 8th.
April 1st, 2022, marked the expiry of the collective agreements for the General Services, Indigenous Services and Community Living Services. The collective agreement is a negotiated contract that spells out your terms and conditions of your employment and your rights as a union member.
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association is continuing to meet with the employers’ association.
The Bargaining Committee is pushing to achieve the non-monetary priorities that members identified as important measures to address the challenges in the community social services sector.
By the end of last week, the Committee had tabled all non-monetary topics and interests for consideration. In-depth discussions of these critical issues will continue this week on these critical issues and there are several days of negotiations scheduled.
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.
Bargaining for the new Community Social Services collective agreement has begun.
Last week the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) Committee finalized the unions’ priorities and proposals and on February 2 initiated talks with the Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA) Bargaining Committee. The parties were able to agree on bargaining protocols on February 3.
Do you work in the community social services sector? Are you looking for opportunities for training in mental health and addictions issues?
The Canadian Mental Health Association and BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions have teamed up to offer the free Workplace CARE certificate program. The program is free, and consists of two self-paced virtual courses which can be completed in any order. You’ll be able to check in with a learning coach when you have questions.
Labour Day is usually a time spent reflecting on the past. We remember the contributions of working people, celebrate the many victories, and remind ourselves and the world of the importance of collective action.
But this has been a very different year. We don’t have to recall the distant past to see the remarkable commitment of working people in BC. We’re seeing history being made, all around us, in real time.
