Community Social Services: Job action starts next week
Members will be contacted directly if their workplace is a target for job action
Targeted job action in community social services will start next week with a protest at BC Liberal Premier Christy Clarks constituency office in Vancouver on October 16.
The bargaining committee does not take lightly the decision to strike, but believes that job action is necessary to send a message to the BC government: stop putting the squeeze on community social services! Community social service workers need a fair and reasonable deal, including a wage increase.
The bargaining team is conducting strategically targeted strike action on specific days in specific communities around BC. The one-day job action next Tuesday in Vancouver will be followed by one-day job action in Kamloops on October 17, and Prince George on October 18. Further targeted job action will be announced in due course.
Please note that members will be contacted directly if their agency or workplace is a target for job action. The bargaining team will target specific worksites in each community for each day of action. Do not take job action unless directed to do so by your union. Please ensure HSA has your current contact information by emailing @email.
The bargaining team is focusing strike efforts on the BC government because workers need a commitment from Victoria to recognize the vital role community social services... and the workers who provide them ... play for vulnerable families in communities across the province. For more information, please refer to the attached leaflet.
As job action progresses, the bargaining committee will be looking for your support. Please make sure that:
• your contact info is up to date with your union by emailing @email;
• you read communications from your union and post bargaining bulletins at your worksites union bulletin board;
• you spread information and talk to coworkers.
Union members can stay informed about strike action by:
• checking the bargaining updates on your unions website and/or wwwCSSfairdeal.ca;
• liking the following pages on Facebook:
- facebook.com/hsabc
- "BC's Community Social Services Workers" group;
• following CSSFairDeal and twitter.com/hsabc on Twitter
The Community Social Services Employers Association has not made a monetary offer at the bargaining table due to the restrictive bargaining mandate imposed by Victoria dictating that all public sector workers must find -savings" in their collective agreement to fund any wage increase. The provincial government's Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA) represents 220 agencies in the sector.
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) is the multi-union bargaining committee for BC's unionized community social service workers. The CSSBA includes ten unions with a combined membership of about 15,000. The BCGEU is the largest union in the community social services sector, representing about two-thirds of workers. CUPE, HEU, and HSA are the next largest followed by UFCW, CSWU, USW, SEIU and CLAC.