April 3, 2019

GSU Local 2 Members (Viterra Head Office),

On March 26 and 27, 2019 the bargaining committees for GSU Locals 1 and 2 met with Viterra representatives to resume agreement renewal collective bargaining. Despite our best efforts those bargaining meetings did not result in a tentative settlement since we were unable to resolve key issues related to wage rates and wage increases.

Instead of a tentative settlement GSU’s Local 1 and 2 bargaining committee has received a final offer from Viterra and is bringing that offer to union members for a vote as to acceptance or rejection. Each Local will conduct a separate vote on Viterra’s final offer as it pertains to the collective agreement covering their bargaining unit.

The questions on the ballot members will receive are as follows:

• I accept the final offer received from Viterra Inc. on April 2, 2019 and I authorize Grain & General Services Union to conclude the renewal of the collective agreement covering the bargaining unit employees based on the proposed final offer.
• I reject the final offer received from Viterra on April 2, 2019.

GSU’s bargaining committee is not recommending how members should vote with regard to Viterra’s April 2, 2019 final offer.

Each member is entitled to a vote by casting a ballot. There will not be any proxy voting permitted. Absentee voting will be permitted provided the member wishing to cast an absentee ballot makes prior arrangements with the GSU office in Regina and casts their ballot by April 22, 2019.

Union members will be informed of the date, time and location of the meeting where the vote will be conducted.

Once the voting is complete, the ballots cast will be counted by the executive committee. The results will be reported to GSU members and Viterra.

Sincerely,
ON BEHALF OF GSU LOCAL 1 & 2 BARGAINING COMMITTEE,
Hugh Wagner
Bargaining Committee Spokesperson

BARGAINING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Local 1 – Jim Brown (Balgonie), Brett North (Moose Jaw), Wilfred Harris (Carnduff), Travis Brewer (Saskatoon)
Local 2 – Sheila Tran (Regina), Howard Wilson (Regina)

FINAL OFFER REPORT

GSU/Viterra Regina Office

In addition to the Notice of Final Offer message above, a link to this Final Offer Report and the final offer received from Viterra on April 2, 2019 was sent to members via email on April 3.

Members can read and download Viterra’s final offer by clicking on the following link:

• April 2 2019 – Final Offer by Viterra [PDF report]

If an Article or section of an Article of the collective agreement is not mentioned in this report, it means there will not be any change to that Article or section as the case may be. 

Article 1 – Scope and Definition of the collective agreement would be changed to reflect Viterra’s somewhat new approach to wages based on salary ranges, job rate ranges and work streams which are set out in the April 2 final offer.

Article 4 – Company Relations of the collective agreement would be changed to update the language regarding employee access to performance appraisals, evaluations and personnel files. In addition the prohibited grounds of discrimination would be updated to be consistent with the Canadian Human Rights Act. It has been changed by amending section 12.3 to recognize that postings are now online.

Article 8 – Benefit Plans of the collective agreement would be amended by updating the sick leave procedure in section 8.2 Sick Leave to include providing medical reports to a designate of the Company. Section 8.3 Extended Sick Leave would be amended to reduce the waiting period to one week (currently two weeks) and increase the covered period of time from 105 calendar days to 112 calendars days. Similar to regular sick leave, employee medical reports may be provided to a designate appointed by the Company. The reference to extended sick leave ceasing at normal retirement age will be deleted.

Article 11 – Workers’ Compensation of the collective agreement would be amended to delete the current section 11.2 since WCB benefits are paid directly to Company at 90 percent of the employee’s net salary, while the employee continues to receive her/his salary from the Company. Section 11.4 will be amended to clarify participant’s in an employee’s return to work plan and section 11.5 will be deleted since it is redundant.

Article 13 – Leaves of Absence of the collective agreement would be amended by modifying the description of Pressing Necessity set out in section 13.3 and by adding a new section 13.9 Personal Family Leave. The proposed new section 13.9 would provide for up to five days of personal family leave; with up to three days being paid and charged to employees’ accumulated sick leave (provided the employee has at least three months of continuous service.)

Article 14 – Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) of the collective agreement would be amended in section 14.1 a) by reducing the eligibility for SEB benefits to one year and by increasing the number of weeks of SEB benefits available to employees with more than one, but less than four years’ service.

Article 17 – Temporary Performance of Higher Duty (TPHD) of the collective agreement would be amended to provide that TPHD pay is only available when an employee is assigned to temporarily relieve in a position with a higher salary grade.

Article 19 – Shift Differential, Call Out and Standby Pay of the collective agreement would be amended by increasing the shift differentials set out in sections 19.1 and 19.2 to $1.75 per hour.

Article 21 – Vacations of the collective agreement would be amended in section 21.3 to increase the maximum vacation accrual rate on overtime worked from eight (8) percent to ten (10) percent.  

Article 24 – Position Elimination of the collective agreement would be amended to provide that employees subject to position elimination who receive pay in lieu of notice instead of working notice will have the option to choose immediate termination of employment and severance pay.

Article 25 – Scale of Wages/Salaries, Job Titles, Work Streams Salary Grades and Salary Ranges of the collective agreement would be amended to include the concept of work streams as well as changes to position titles, salary grades and salary ranges (including minimums and maximums for each grade and work stream as set out the attached copy of the Company’s April 2 final offer.

Notwithstanding the Company’s proposed new compensation (pay) structure, the salary maximums set out in the collective agreement that expired on October 31, 2018 will continue to apply to all current employees (as of the date of ratification) for the duration of the proposed collective agreement, after which the amended compensation (pay) structure will apply to all employees. Pay adjustments as proposed by the Company would become effective as of January 1, 2019.

The Company proposes the following annual aggregate salary increases:

1. January 1, 2019 – 2.5%
2. January 1, 2020 – 2.0%
3. January 1, 2021 – 2.0%
4. January 1, 2022 – 2.5%  

Article 27 – Effective Date and Duration of Agreement of the collective agreement would be from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2022; a term of four (4) years.

Analysis of Viterra’s April 2, 2019 Final Offer

A key agreement renewal bargaining focus by GSU’s bargaining committee was making changes to the so called pay for performance salary system by guaranteeing each employee annual wage increases at least equal to the rise in the cost of living.

In addition, GSU’s Local 1 and 2 bargaining committee attempted to convince Viterra management to agree to additional incremental annual pay increases that would help employees progress towards the maximum of the salary range for their position.

In response to GSU bargaining proposals, Viterra’s April 2 final offer contains some improvement to collective agreement language in relation to extended sick leave, personal family leave, supplementary employment benefits, vacation pay on overtime, shift differentials and aggregate pay increases. However, the final offer does not address the above wage increase objectives identified by union members and pursued by GSU’s bargaining committee.

GSU’s bargaining committee also argued against the reduction of salary grade maximums and salary downgrades applicable to a number of job titles as contained in Viterra’s proposed salary grades and work streams. However, as indicated in its April 2 final offer, Viterra is only prepared to continue to apply the salary grade maximums from the expired agreement to current employees who would otherwise be negatively affected by the proposed new salary grades and/or salary range maximums.  

Your bargaining committee fought hard to obtain wage increases and a better salary system for all employees. We were not able to convince Viterra management of the worthiness the union bargaining proposals on these subjects. For these reasons GSU’s Local 1 and 2 bargaining committee is not making any recommendation on whether union members should vote to accept or reject Viterra’s April 2, 2019 final offer.

If Viterra’s philosophy in relation to pay for performance salary system is going to change, it is clear to your GSU bargaining committee that a clear and overwhelming commitment to action by union members is required.

It is your bargaining committee’s sincere belief that the members of Locals 1 and 2 are best positioned to determine whether Viterra’s final offer is sufficient to form the basis of new collective agreements.

On behalf of the GSU Local 1 and 2 Bargaining Committee,
Hugh Wagner
General Secretary

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Contact a bargaining committee member directly or email bargaining committee spokesperson Hugh Wagner at gsu@gsu.ca.

 April 3, 2019

GSU Local 1 Members (Viterra Country Operations & Maintenance),

On March 26 and 27, 2019 the bargaining committees for GSU Locals 1 and 2 met with Viterra representatives to resume agreement renewal collective bargaining. Despite our best efforts those bargaining meetings did not result in a tentative settlement since we were unable to resolve key issues related to wage rates and wage increases.

Instead of a tentative settlement GSU’s Local 1 and 2 bargaining committee has received a final offer from Viterra and is bringing that offer to union members for a vote as to acceptance or rejection. Each Local will conduct a separate vote on Viterra’s final offer as it pertains to the collective agreement covering their bargaining unit.

The questions on the ballot members will receive are as follows:

• I accept the final offer received from Viterra Inc. on April 2, 2019 and I authorize Grain & General Services Union to conclude the renewal of the collective agreement covering the bargaining unit employees based on the proposed final offer.

• I reject the final offer received from Viterra on April 2, 2019.

GSU’s bargaining committee is not recommending how members should vote with regard to Viterra’s April 2, 2019 final offer.

Each member is entitled to a vote by casting a ballot. There will not be any proxy voting permitted. Absentee voting will be permitted provided the member wishing to cast an absentee ballot makes prior arrangements with the GSU office in Regina and casts their ballot by April 22, 2019.

GSU is arranging with Viterra to conduct workplace votes at each location. Members will be informed of the date and time of the opportunity to vote at their workplace.

Once the voting is complete, the ballots cast will be counted by the executive committee. The results will be reported to GSU members and Viterra.

Sincerely,
ON BEHALF OF GSU LOCAL 1 & 2 BARGAINING COMMITTEE
Hugh Wagner
Bargaining Committee Spokesperson

BARGAINING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Local 1 – Jim Brown (Balgonie), Brett North (Moose Jaw), Wilfred Harris (Carnduff), Travis Brewer (Saskatoon)
Local 2 – Sheila Tran (Regina), Howard Wilson (Regina)

FINAL OFFER REPORT

GSU/Viterra Country Operations & Maintenance Collective Agreement

In addition to the Notice of Final Offer message above, a link to this Final Offer Report and the final offer received from Viterra on April 2, 2019 was sent to members via email on April 3.

Members can read and download Viterra’s final offer by clicking on the following link:

• April 2 2019 – Final Offer by Viterra [PDF file]

If an Article or section of an Article of the collective agreement is not mentioned in this report, it means there will not be any change to that Article or section as the case may be. 

Article 1 – Scope and Definition of the collective agreement would be changed to reflect Viterra’s somewhat new approach to wages based on salary ranges, job rate ranges and work streams which are set out in the April 2 final offer.

Article 4 – Company Relations of the collective agreement would be changed to update the language regarding employee access to performance appraisals, evaluations and personnel files. In addition the prohibited grounds of discrimination would be updated to be consistent with the Canadian Human Rights Act. It has been changed by amending section 12.3 to recognize that postings are now online.

Article 8 – Benefit Plans of the collective agreement would be amended by updating the sick leave procedure in section 8.2 Sick Leave to include providing medical reports to a designate of the Company. Section 8.3 Extended Sick Leave would be amended to reduce the waiting period to one week (currently two weeks) and increase the covered period of time from 105 calendar days to 112 calendars days. Similar to regular sick leave, employee medical reports may be provided to a designate appointed by the Company. The reference to extended sick leave ceasing at normal retirement age will be deleted.

Article 11 – Workers’ Compensation of the collective agreement would be amended to delete the current section 11.2 since WCB benefits are paid directly to Company at 90 percent of the employee’s net salary, while the employee continues to receive her/his salary from the Company. Section 11.4 will be amended to clarify participant’s in an employee’s return to work plan and section 11.5 will be deleted since it is redundant.

Article 13 – Leaves of Absence of the collective agreement would be amended by modifying the description of Pressing Necessity set out in section 13.3 and by adding a new section 13.9 Personal Family Leave. The proposed new section 13.9 would provide for up to five days of personal family leave; with up to three days being paid and charged to employees’ accumulated sick leave (provided the employee has at least three months of continuous service.)

Article 14 – Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) of the collective agreement would be amended in section 14.1 a) by reducing the eligibility for SEB benefits to one year and by increasing the number of weeks of SEB benefits available to employees with more than one, but less than four years’ service.

Article 17 – Temporary Performance of Higher Duty (TPHD) of the collective agreement would be amended to provide that TPHD pay is only available when an employee is assigned to temporarily relieve in a position with a higher salary grade.

Article 19 – Shift Differential, Call Out and Standby Pay of the collective agreement would be amended by increasing the shift differentials set out in sections 19.1 and 19.2 to $1.75 per hour.

Article 21 – Vacations of the collective agreement would be amended in section 21.3 to increase the maximum vacation accrual rate on overtime worked from eight (8) percent to ten (10) percent.  

Article 24 – Position Elimination of the collective agreement would be amended to provide that employees subject to position elimination who receive pay in lieu of notice instead of working notice will have the option to choose immediate termination of employment and severance pay.

Article 25 – Scale of Wages/Salaries, Job Titles, Work Streams Salary Grades and Salary Ranges of the collective agreement would be amended to include the concept of work streams as well as changes to position titles, salary grades and salary ranges (including minimums and maximums for each grade and work stream as set out the attached copy of the Company’s April 2 final offer.

Notwithstanding the Company’s proposed new compensation (pay) structure, the salary maximums set out in the collective agreement that expired on October 31, 2018 will continue to apply to all current employees (as of the date of ratification) for the duration of the proposed collective agreement, after which the amended compensation (pay) structure will apply to all employees. Pay adjustments as proposed by the Company would become effective as of January 1, 2019.

The Company proposes the following annual aggregate salary increases:

1. January 1, 2019 – 2.5%
2. January 1, 2020 – 2.0%
3. January 1, 2021 – 2.0%
4. January 1, 2022 – 2.5%  

Article 27 – Effective Date and Duration of Agreement of the collective agreement would be from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2022; a term of four (4) years.

Analysis of Viterra’s April 2, 2019 Final Offer

A key agreement renewal bargaining focus by GSU’s bargaining committee was making changes to the so called pay for performance salary system by guaranteeing each employee annual wage increases at least equal to the rise in the cost of living.

In addition, GSU’s Local 1 and 2 bargaining committee attempted to convince Viterra management to agree to additional incremental annual pay increases that would help employees progress towards the maximum of the salary range for their position.

In response to GSU bargaining proposals, Viterra’s April 2 final offer contains some improvement to collective agreement language in relation to extended sick leave, personal family leave, supplementary employment benefits, vacation pay on overtime, shift differentials and aggregate pay increases. However, the final offer does not address the above wage increase objectives identified by union members and pursued by GSU’s bargaining committee.

GSU’s bargaining committee also argued against the reduction of salary grade maximums and salary downgrades applicable to a number of job titles as contained in Viterra’s proposed salary grades and work streams. However, as indicated in its April 2 final offer, Viterra is only prepared to continue to apply the salary grade maximums from the expired agreement to current employees who would otherwise be negatively affected by the proposed new salary grades and/or salary range maximums.  

Your bargaining committee fought hard to obtain wage increases and a better salary system for all employees. We were not able to convince Viterra management of the worthiness the union bargaining proposals on these subjects. For these reasons GSU’s Local 1 and 2 bargaining committee is not making any recommendation on whether union members should vote to accept or reject Viterra’s April 2, 2019 final offer.

If Viterra’s philosophy in relation to pay for performance salary system is going to change, it is clear to your GSU bargaining committee that a clear and overwhelming commitment to action by union members is required.

It is your bargaining committee’s sincere belief that the members of Locals 1 and 2 are best positioned to determine whether Viterra’s final offer is sufficient to form the basis of new collective agreements.

On behalf of the GSU Local 1 and 2 Bargaining Committee,
Hugh Wagner
General Secretary

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Contact a bargaining committee member directly or email bargaining committee spokesperson Hugh Wagner at gsu@gsu.ca.

From: Lori Johb [mailto:l.johb@sfl.sk.ca] 
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 10:02 AM
To: Lori Johb <l.johb@sfl.sk.ca>
Subject: News Release – Solidarity Committee UFCW 1400 
Importance: High

SFL Central Strategy Committee,

Please see below and attached. A motion from the Central Strategy Committee meeting March 21^st, 2019.

Please see attached the News Release  regarding the Solidarity Committee that was formed in support of UFCW 1400 striking workers at the Saskatoon Coop and went out this morning. Please share this with your members along with the message you wish to convey to them. We avoided using the word ‘boycott’ as the request was withdrawn, however some will encourage their members to not support any Coop, FCL or FCL Holdings while the strike is on.

For your reference the motion passed at the Central Strategy Committee reads;

Wagner/Burkart
Motion that the SFL support a solidarity campaign urging union members to not shop at Co-ops across Saskatchewan, including FCL and FCL Holdings, until the Saskatoon Co-op has settled its dispute with UFCW 1400 members.
CARRIED

Please let me know if you have questions. I am certain we will have further solidarity actions to follow in the coming days.

In Solidarity,

Lori

Lori Johb, PresidentSaskatchewan Federation of Labour
Email- l.johb@sfl.sk.ca
Website: www.sfl.sk.ca

A number of GSU’s collective agreements refer to aggregate salary increases and recently a number of GSU members have inquired how this approach works. The aggregate increase approach means that the payroll of an employer will increase by an agreed upon minimum amount  (usually expressed as a percentage), but the individual employees’ salary increases may be higher or lower than the aggregate percentage increase.

The following example illustrates how the aggregate approach works. 

1. Let’s assume the payroll is $1,000 and the company proposes to pay an aggregate salary increase of 2.5%.
2. The result would be a 2.5% increase to the payroll or $25.
3. There are two employees. Employee A whose salary is $600 and employee B whose salary is $400.
4. If both employees received a salary increase of 2.5%, Employee A would get $15 and Employee B would get $10. The payroll would rise by 2.5% or $25.
5. But, if the company decided that Employee A should receive a 3% salary increase, her/his salary would rise by $18 leaving $7 for employee B (an increase for her/him of 1.75%).
6. On the other hand, if Employee B was given a 3% salary increase, her/his salary would rise by $12 leaving $13 for Employee A (an increase for her/him of 2.167%).
7. In any of the above scenarios the aggregate increase to the payroll is 2.5% or $25. However the individual shares will vary.

 As an alternative, GSU has proposed to employers using the aggregate approach to annual salary increases that there should be a guaranteed increase for every employee at least equal to the rise in the consumer price index, 2% for example.

The following example illustrates how GSU’s approach would work. 

1. The payroll is still $1,000. Employee A’s salary is $600 and Employee B’s salary is $400. The aggregate salary increase would still be 2.5% ($25), but every employee in this example would be guaranteed a salary increase of at least 2%.
2. Therefore, Employee A would receive a guaranteed salary increase of $12 (600 x 2.0%) and Employee B would receive a salary increase of $8 ($400 x 2.0%). There would still be $5 left to distribute since the aggregate salary increase has to be 2.5% ($25).
3. The additional $5 could be divided equally between the two employees, or by some other proportion or the entire amount could be given to one employee or the other. Whatever division of the $5 occurs in this example the aggregate payroll still rises by 2.5%.

The GSU Local 1 (Viterra Ops) and Local 2 (Viterra Head Office) bargaining committee will resume agreement renewal collective bargaining with Viterra representatives on March 26 and 27.

“Since the last bargaining meeting in February, GSU’s committee has been able to consult with delegates and members from the two locals and we have a renewed sense of their priorities,” said GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner. “The bargaining committee will take the information gathered and put it to work in favour of reaching a bargaining settlement.”

A further update will be issued following the bargaining meetings on March 26 and 27.

CUPW 824 will be hosting a rally in support of Co-op workers who have been fighting back against their employer’s abandonment of co-op principles – like fairness and pay equity – since November 2018.

The rally will take place:

Wednesday, March 27
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
322 22^nd Street W.
Saskatoon

The 2019 federal budget signals the government’s plans and priorities leading up to the fall election. Canada’s unions expect budget 2019 to outline a multi-year roadmap making significant improvements to the well-being of working people and vulnerable groups in Canada. At the same time, the budget must address urgent priorities for working people in its spending plans for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, including in areas such as Employment Insurance, good job creation, affordable housing, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and climate change.

To advance the goals of fairness and to deal with urgent unmet needs, Canada’s unions are looking for expanded investments in pharmacare, Employment Insurance, child care, affordable housing, and just transition measures to create good jobs while moving Canada toward a low-carbon economy. These investments must address the significant and growing inequality that is intensifying economic insecurity for working people, undermining the social mobility of families and the health of communities across Canada.

Here’s what a “Fairness Budget” means for working people:

http://canadianlabour.ca/news/news-archive/working-people-need-fairness-budget-10-things-canadas-unions-want-see-budget-2019

SFL/CLC Spring School 2019
Temple Garden Spa & Resort, Moose Jaw SK
May 6-10, 2019

Courses offered:

• Facing Management Effectively
• Unionism on Turtle Island
• H&S Activism and Your Mental and Physical Health
• Domestic Violence at Work
• Member Engagement – Member Action
• Pre-retirement Planning – “What are you doing after work?”

Learn more here.

Contact your GSU staff rep to learn more or to register.

Prairie School for Union Women
Waskesiu Lake, SK – June 9-13, 2019

The Prairie School for Union Women (PSUW) offers women an intensive four days of learning and sharing in a supportive environment. The goals of the school are to develop women’s personal and leadership skills and to build solidarity among women workers.

Learn more here.

Contact your GSU staff rep to learn more or to register.

A member called staff rep Dale Marking inquiring about jury duty pay. 

Most GSU collective agreements have a provision that ensures that if a member is called for jury duty, they don’t suffer a loss of pay while serving as a juror.

“Some GSU members may not know about jury leave in their collective agreement,” Markling said. “Most GSU members have jury leave that affords them some wage loss protections should they have to serve.”

If you have any questions about jury leave or what your collective agreement covers for jury duty, contact your GSU staff rep for assistance. 

GSU’s Local 4 bargaining committee and staff rep Steve Torgerson met with the company’s bargaining committee for a bargaining session Feb. 12 and 13  in Yorkton.

In addition to exchanging bargaining proposals, the two sides participated in frank and open discussions which yielded some understanding of the company’s position.

“Although we had two good days of negotiations and some understanding of what the main issues are for the Company, we still have lots of work to do,” said Torgerson.

The next round of negotiations are scheduled for March 26 to 28 in Yorkton.

Updates will follow.

Members of Local 4 can sign-up for email bargaining updates by sending their email address to Steve Torgerson at Steve@gsu.ca

GSU staff rep Dale Markling is working with an employer to fill a position on a temporary performance of higher duty basis until the position is filled on a permanent basis. 

“When employees are expected to cover a higher position for a period of time they should be compensated for the additional duties and responsibility as defined in their collective agreement,” Markling said.
Do you have questions about temporary performance of higher duty? Contact your staff rep. Contact information is available on our web page at gsu.ca.

Staff rep services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you. 

The bargaining committee for GSU Locals 1 and 2 met with Viterra management on February 12 and 13. According to GSU general secretary Hugh Wagner, the bargaining meetings were productive but a settlement has yet to be reached.

“The Union bargaining committee is planning to convene a conference call with Local 1 delegates on February 21,” Wagner said. “The purpose of the conference call is to update and consult with the delegates in relation to key bargaining issues.” “Following the call with the delegates I will be contacting Viterra management to arrange for a follow up to the February 13 bargaining meeting,” Wagner said.

No problem is too big or small for your GSU staff rep. If you need advice or ideas about how to handle a workplace situation, call us.

Your inquiry will be treated with the strictest confidentiality, and contacting GSU does not mean you are obligated to file a grievance.  We are here to assist you in any way we can, but we will not contact your employer or act on your behalf without consultation, direction, and approval from you.

These services are provided to you as part of your union dues. There is no additional charge for assisting you.

GSU staff rep contact information is available on our web page at here.

Rush tickets. You want them, we have them! 

Check out our Feb. 12 Tuesday Members’ Memo and enter to win two tickets to watch the Saskatchewan Rush take on the Colorado Mammoth on Feb. 22.

Deadline to enter is 9:00 a.m. Feb. 19.

BY: CALM 2019-02-08

UNION HATERS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME IN B.C. There is a $100 million answer to the question “what have unions done for you lately.”

Two union bargaining associations have won a total of $100 million dollars for 31,000 health and social care workers who worked for too little, too long. The BCGEU (BC Government Employees Union) is the lead union in both associations, which together include 12 other unions.

The settlement negotiated by the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) provides $60 million in redress funding for 15,000 workers at neighbourhood houses, community centres, shelters and other facilities.

The Community Health Bargaining Association (CBA) negotiated a total of $40 million in redress funding. The CBA represents 16,000 workers in senior care, home care and other aspects of community health care.

A $100 million payout divided among 32,000 workers works out to about $3,222 per worker. However, a union committee will decide exactly how to parcel out the redress payments, with the focus on helping the lowest paid workers most.

On top of the redress funding, both bargaining teams won annual wage increases for the community health and social care workers of 2 percent for the coming three years.

Union campaigns
The successful bargaining resulted from years of continuous effort by unions. Protests and other activities called for action to deal with the hard reality of low pay and precarious work faced by social care and health services workers.

In April 2017, for example, the BCGEU organized a rally at the provincial legislature in Victoria to call for immediate improvements to the child welfare system. BCGEU pointed out the obvious: low pay made it difficult to attract social workers. BC paid 11 percent less, on average, than other provinces.

The poverty-level wages and often precarious working conditions have led to a shortage of care workers in BC. A report earlier this year predicted that the province needs 2,800 additional care workers to keep services running over the next three years.

A significant number of workers in health and social care are paid less than $19 an hour, well short of the $20.91 living wage in metro Vancouver. This puts  community health and social care workers among the lowest paid workers in the public service.

Couple this reality with the skyrocketing cost of living in Vancouver and it means even full-time social care workers in the city often can’t afford to live in the city where they work.

Cheryl Burns, president of CUPE Local 1936, told the Toronto Star, “Many workers work two and three jobs in order to survive—single parents go to food banks. It’s really horrible.”

Tackling inequalities
The negotiated pay increases will help to tackle some of the pay inequities in the care system. But the fact that many community healthcare workers are paid less than workers doing virtually the same jobs in hospitals remains a problem that needs fixing.

There is also the ongoing problem of the gender gap in pay. Around 80 percent of the workforce in health and social care in Canada is made up of women, many of whom earn low wages. This one factor explains a lot about why the average female worker in a full-time job still earns only 74 percent what men get.

This latest victory for health and social care workers in B.C. is a double victory. It puts money into the pockets of low-paid workers. Plus, it shows exactly why unions matter. It is unions, and only unions, who will take up for workers getting less than they deserve. And it is unions, and only unions, who have the smarts, the resources and the resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with those workers until they get it.

What makes it even sweeter is that union haters have to bite their tongues and stop asking “what have unions done for you lately?” Unions have a fresh $100 million answer ready for them.

This article was originally published by The Canadian Labour Institute:
http://www.canadianlabourinstitute.org/story/ti-takes-a-union