BURNABY – The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) announced today that the 19,000 members of the community social services bargaining unit employed by the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) voted 95 per cent to accept the tentative agreement. The agreement was negotiated with the nine unions representing members in the agreement: BCGEU, CUPE, HEU, HSA, CSWU Local 1611, CLAC, USW 1-417, UFCW and BCNU.
The tentative deal was reached on February 6, 2023, after one year of negotiations. The new agreement is retroactive from April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2025 and includes:
- Low-wage redress* increases, retroactive for all employees (past and present) to April 1, 2022
- Wage increases that follow the GWI of the public sector agreements
- 100-per-cent paid sick leave, effective April 1, 2024
- Improvements to health and welfare benefits, leave provisions, safety and health, layoff and recall, bullying and harassment language.
* Low-wage redress (LWR) refers to funds that are meant to help reduce long-term inequalities in compensation in both community social services and health care sectors.
“Our members’ main priority was both fair and equitable compensation and restoration of a hundred per cent sick pay,” said CUPE BC General Vice-President Sheryl Burns. “The achievement on sick pay is historic because this was removed by the BC Liberals when they came into power.”
Burns added that members also voted resoundingly in favour of the new agreement because its provisions reflect the parties’ commitment to truth and reconciliation and the deal includes several improvements around health and safety while addressing mental health concerns.
Community social services workers work in every community in B.C., providing services such as support for Indigenous families, support for children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities, support for women, youth and children fleeing abuse, and support for people with mental health challenges and at-risk youth.
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) represents unionized workers in the community social services sector, and the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) represents over 200 community social services employers across the province.
