Community social services

Community Social Service workers are essential to building strong communities and making life better for families and individuals. Yet workers in this sector are often as invisible as the members of the society they support. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has made a commitment to raise the profile of community social service workers. NUPGE is joining...

British Columbia's frontline community-based social service workers have approved their new collective agreements. The vote was 88% in favour for General Services and 79% in favour for Community Living Services. "This agreement offers important improvements for workers who support children, women, adults withdevelopmental disabilities, and other vulnerable members in our communities,"says James Cavalluzzo, Chair of the Community Social Services Bargaining...

HSA President Reid Johnson is not optimistic about media reports for a -new government mandate" for collective bargaining in 2012 after yesterdays Throne Speech from the BC government. -The government clearly signaled yesterday that its prepared to pay lip service to the women and men who deliver the public services, like health care, that British Columbians depend on. But there...

The lead union in the Community Social Services Bargaining Association, the BCGEU, has extended the deadline for ratification votes to take place on the proposed collective agreement reached last month. The bargaining committee unanimously recommended ratification of the agreement, and HSAs Board of Directors recommends HSA members support the terms of the agreement. Additional opportunities to vote on the tentative...

The one-time,$6 million in new funding announced today for Community Living BC (CLBC) is inadequate to stem the crisis in support and funding faced by the families of adults with developmental disabilities, says the BC Community Living Action Group (BCCLAG). The six million dollars will provide support for a total 123 adults with developmental disabilities for one year, based on...

HSAs board of directors has voted to recommend members vote ‘yes in favour of the tentative collective agreement reached last month between the Community Social Services Union Bargaining Association of the Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA). The tentative agreement was supported unanimously by the multi-union bargaining committee, and was reached without third-party involvement for the first time in the...

The BC Community Living Action Group (BC‐CLAG) strongly urges Premier Christy Clark to act immediately to approve $70 million in new provincial funding to stem the provinces growing community living crisis. A BC‐CLAG analysis of Community Living BC (CLBC) projections shows that at least $70 million is needed immediately to address the existing support backlog. Each year, hundreds of youths...

A tentative agreement has been reached for British Columbias 15,000 community-based social service workers, thereby averting a strike. Talks went into the weekend to avert looming job action. Key bargaining demands were met, as the tentative agreement improves job security and fair work practices for workers, such as bumping, job selection language and bullying. In addition, the government has approved...

Last ditch community social services bargaining talks resumed August 9, and lasted through the week. Talks are set to continue on Monday. Your bargaining committee has been clear that any agreement must focus on your key demands - namely job security, fair work practices, and dealing with the continuing bleeding of jobs and decimation of services in the sector. On...

Majority of essential service levels now established, remainder by August 5 After numerous delays, community social service workers in BC can expect job action to commence in August. The long process of determining what services will be maintained as essential during a strike is finally drawing to a close. Essential services levels have now been set at ninety-seven per cent...