CSS Members Ratify New Collective Agreement

Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) members have voted to ratify a new collective agreement with the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA). Members under the CSS Community Living contract have voted 93% in favour, and members under the CSS General Services contract voted 95% in favour.

The four-year agreement delivers substantial gains in the areas members identified as priorities, including annual wage increases of 3% per year and low wage redress funding that will mean most members will earn about 13% more by the end of the agreement than they do today.

The agreement is retroactive to April 1, 2025, and is in effect until March 31, 2029.

Please note the employer controls the timing of retroactive pay, but your union will advocate for it to be paid out as quickly as possible. You can also find more information on our ratification hub.

Bargaining is often a process of incremental change, and this round of bargaining has set the CSS sector up for success in future rounds. Community social services workers are the unsung heroes of every BC community. We’re pleased to see that this agreement, won through solidarity, reflects the priorities of community social service workers and ensures that they are supported in their work, allowing them to continue to provide the quality care necessary across BC.

Over 20,000 community social services workers are represented by the CSSBA. The BC General Employees’ Union is the lead union in CSSBA, representing nearly 13,000 workers across BC. HSA, along with seven other constituent unions, represent an additional 7,000 members under the CSSBA.