Highway workers Back to Work in Peace River
After thirteen weeks on strike BCGEU/NUPGE highway members employed by Caribou Road Services (South) Ltd. returned to work. The improved collective agreement include annual salary increases which will total 19.04% over the six year contract.
Members employed by Yellowhead Road and Bridge in North Peace returned to work after spending eleven weeks on strike. The new agreement includes a salary increase of at least 3% in each year of a five year contract. There are also improvements to sick benefits, auxiliary recall provisions, auxiliary wages and job postings.
Many thanks to all those who sent messages of solidarity to help these members through their difficult struggle.
Settlement Reached In Child Care Society Strike
After 74 days of strike action, the members of BCGEU/NUPGE employed by the Simon Fraser Child Care Society will be returning to work on Monday. The members accepted the settlement finally reached with the assistance of a mediator.
The deal turned on the employer withdrawing all demands for cuts to rights and benefits, and a longer agreement. The new three-year collective agreement gives the early childhood educators a $1,250 bonus in lieu of a wage increase in the first year, plus a 2.5% increase in each of the following two years. Pension benefits that were lost in 2003, following the Campbell government's cuts to child care funding, have been partially restored.
Thank you to everyone who supported these workers in their fight for equity at the Society and in the broader child care sector.
One Hundred Highway Workers Remain on Strike
The long battle for approximately one hundred highway workers is not over in British Columbia. About thirty-five members employed by Caribou Road Services South remain off the job in the South Peace. They have been on strike since August 2. About seventy members employed by Yellowhead Road and Bridge remain off the job in the North Peace. They have been on strike since July 17. These workers continue to need your support for a fair and decent contract. Please send messages of solidarity today.
In other areas throughout the province, contracts have slowly been ratified. A new collective agreement is now in place for members employed by VSA Highway Maintenance Ltd. in the Nicola service area. These workers had been locked out since April 26. Members employed by Lakes District Maintenance ratified a new collective agreement on September 10. Both of these new contracts will provide salary increases of at least 3% in each year of a five year contract as well as improvements to sick benefits, auxiliary recall provisions, auxiliary wages and job postings.
As well, members employed by Emcon Services Inc. in Service Areas 02 and 03 and Mainroad Contracting Ltd. Service Area 11 have new collective agreements.
Messages can be sent to: Gary Bennett, Highway Bargaining Coordinator,
gary.bennett@bcgeu.ca, fax 1-604-291-6030.
Please copy strikealert@nupge.ca on all correspondence.
Child Care Workers Increase the Pressure
After 8 weeks of rotating strike action across 12 child care centres operated by the Simon Fraser University Child Care Society, BCGEU/NUPGE members will be setting up picket lines on September 17th.
The BCGEU child care professionals temporarily suspended rotating job action for the first week of September as families headed back to work and school. The union also requested mediation in a final attempt to avoid full strike action but the employer refused to withdraw concessions.
These members have been fighting to achieve a fair settlement reflecting wages that are on par with other child care professionals in the province. They have engaged in political action to highlight the need for improved public funding to child care services and not download the costs to British Columbian families. Instead the employer has refused to back down from its concession-based proposals.
If you have not yet sent these striking workers your message of solidarity, please do so now. Help get them off the picket line and back to work.
Messages can be sent to:Chris Mullen, Negoiator Chris.Mullen@bcgeu.ca
Please copy strikealert@nupge.ca on all correspondence
Solidarity Still Needed For Remaining Striking Highway Members
Thank you to everyone who supported the BGGEU/NUPGE highway members in their struggle for decent contracts. After a long battle on the picket line contract disputes in several areas of the province have been settled with substantial improvements for the members.
New collective agreements have been ratified in all three Argo service areas, three Mainroad areas, two YRB areas and one Emcon area. Members employed at Mainroad Pavement Marking have ratified their agreement. Tentative agreements have been reached in two Emcon areas and in one Mainroad area. Talks are scheduled with Lakes District Maintenance today and tomorrow. Talks with VSA are scheduled to begin on September 8th.
The agreements include salary increases in each year of a five year deal. Workers will get a 3% salary increase in each of the first two years of the contract. They will get 3% in each of the last three years of the contract or the Annual Labour Adjustment, whichever is greater. Sick benefits have been improved.
Auxiliary workers will see substantial improvements to recall rights and many will see substantial improvements to wage rates. Local issues have included improvements to training and contracting out.
Unfortunately, another 300 members remain on the picket line in four service areas and more hard bargaining lies ahead. If you haven’t sent a letter of support, please do so today. Your solidarity is needed now more than ever.
Please send letters of solidarity to: Gary Bennett, Highway Bargaining Coordinator, gary.bennett@bcgeu.ca, fax 1-604-291-6030.
Please copy strikealert@nupge.ca on all correspondence.
Support Striking Child Care Workers
On July 30th, BCGEU/NUPGE members employed at the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Childcare Society which serves 270 families began rotating strike action withdrawing services from one of twelve child care centres each day for that day. The 67 workers are now into their 4th week of strike action and need to know that you’re behind them.
Bargaining started in May and broke off at the end of June. For months, the Union has been engaged in a major campaign to bring parents, employers and workers together to lobby the provincial and federal governments to provide appropriate funding to support quality, affordable child care services which includes ensuring early childhood educators receive equitable wages and benefits. These workers have been subsidizing child care services for years by taking low wages and reduced benefits.
This isn’t the first time these workers have been on the picket line. In 1999 the Society was part of a multi-employer round of negotiations that resulted in an 11-week strike. In a settlement, the workers gained decent wages, a matched RRSP, enhanced vacation entitlements and health and welfare benefits. This was all lost in 2003 when funding was cancelled by the Campbell Liberals. Workers lost 10% in wages.
The workers are now asking for these benefits to be restored including a wage increase, the return of the RRSP, dental benefits for dependents and a vacation increase for long-term employees. They also refuse to allow the governments to download the costs to parents when BC currently has the highest child care space fees in the country. It’s time to appropriately fund the sector.
Let these workers know that you’re behind them in their fight.
Send messages of solidarity to: Chris Mullen, Negotiator Chris.Mullen@bcgeu.ca
Please copy strikealert@nupge.ca on all correspondence.
Highway Strike Continues to Grow
Members employed at Mainroad Howe Sound Contracting joined their Brothers and Sisters on strike throughout the province on August 13th. This on-going battle between highway members and various employers is now in its 124th day.
Here is a history of the strike actions already taken this summer by highway workers:
* Members at VSA Highway Maintenance in Nicola – Merritt started rotating picket lines on April 23 and were locked out three days later;
*On May 22, members employed by Mainroad South Island Contracting Ltd. began rotating strikes and moved into a full fledged strike on June 13;
*Members at Yellowhead Road and Bridge initiated rotating strikes on May 23 in Prince George but escalated strike action on June 4 with all members walking off the job; and
*Members at Argo Road Maintenance began rotating strike action and walked out on June 11.
*Members at Yellowhead Road and Bridge went on strike on July 15th. The 71 BCGEU/NUPGE members responsible for maintaining approximately 5,100 kilometres of roads and highways in the North Peace region.
Highway maintenance members repair highways and signage and respond to washouts and other issues on the highways across the province. Combined, these members maintain almost 19,000 kilometres of roads and highways.
Members have been fighting for improved wages and benefits, improved working conditions and are speaking out against the deterioration of highway infrastructure. A major sticking point in negotiations has been management's proposed seven (7) year term for these collective agreements.
Please support these members in their fight.
Send your messages of solidarity to: Gary Bennett, Highway Bargaining Coordinator, gary.bennett@bcgeu.ca or by fax to 1-604-291-6030.
Please copy strikealert@nupge.ca on all correspondence.
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