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Union-Government Talks To Begin

Apr 24, 2018 | 2:11 PM

Negotiations will begin next month with three public sector bargaining tables representing close to 60-thousand unionized workers in BC.

The government says the goal is to renew agreements that expire in 2019, and support BC’s core priorities including making life more affordable and improving services for people.

“Early talks are a common practice in collective bargaining, and will build on progress made between employers’ associations and unions on issues discussed during the term of the agreements,” says a Ministry of Finance release.

Talks in early May will include the Public Service Agency and the BC Government and Service Employees Union which represents 27-thousand employees.

The Community Social Services Employers’ Association and the multi-union Community Social Service Bargaining Association will discuss three agreements covering about 15,500 employees in the social services sector, and the Health Employers’ Association of BC and the multi-union Community Bargaining Association will get to work on an agreement covering 16,000 employees in the health-care sector.

The Public Sector Employers’ Council Secretariat works with employers’ associations and employers to co-ordinate negotiations covering about 326,000 unionized employees, as well as on non-union compensation in the province’s public sector, including health care, K-12 public education, Crown agencies, community social services, research universities, post-secondary institutions and the public service (core government).