Enhanced Care Agreement with ICBC

As May 1, 2021 rapidly approaches, we know that our members at ICBC are wondering how their jobs will be impacted. For most of you, there will be minimal changes, if any. There may be some training required on the new legislation and procedures, but jobs will generally remain unchanged. However, for many of the folks who deal with injury claims, soon to be known as Support and Recovery Services, big changes are coming.

We anticipate some members will feel anxiety and worry about the changes they are facing. Those feelings are completely understandable and perfectly normal. If you are feeling that way, we are here to listen. You can email us at ICBCconnect@MoveUPtogether.ca with your concerns and questions. As well, you have access to free and confidential assistance through the Employee and Family Assistance Program at 1-866-644-0326. We encourage you to take advantage of this program and ensure you are looking after your mental and emotional health.

Over the last couple of weeks, discussions with ICBC have happened in earnest. Prior to that, we did not have any information on what ICBC had planned for implementing Enhanced Care, including their plans for jobs. Since the start of these discussions, we have worked with ICBC to find solutions and finalize the specific details. We are pleased to say that as of Friday, November 27, we have come to an agreement with ICBC on how our members will transition to the new jobs in Support and Recovery Services.

ICBC will be briefing all staff on their planned changes and time frames. They will have the specific details of how the work will be done, and what training is planned, to make sure everyone is successful in their new or existing role.

The agreement that we have signed with ICBC guarantees stability for over 1,000 of our members who will be impacted by the move to Enhanced Care. To read the full LOU, click here.

Key Highlights:

• There will be no anticipated job losses due to the change to Enhanced Care! In fact, ICBC anticipates that they will need to recruit more staff, some permanent, some temporary, and additional acting assignments to make sure the work of both Enhanced Care and the existing ‘old book’ work can be done without overwhelming any one group.
• There will be no salary decreases.
• Hours of work, approved vacation, and the assigned nine-day-fortnight (if applicable) for 2021 will be honoured, regardless of the work stream you are in during the transition to the new roles.
• Each time ICBC requires staff to transition into their new role, the affected staff will have the ability to exercise their seniority rights.
• We have a commitment from ICBC to regularly review and resolve workload concerns that may arise due to this change to Enhanced Care.
• No one will be required to change their work location when they are transitioned to a new role.

Customer Claims Specialists (CCS)

• The new job title, Support and Recovery Specialist, has been valued and agreed upon at SG10.
• For the members who are salary protected under LOU 26, that salary protection will continue whether you remain as a CCS or move to the new role of Support and Recovery Specialist.
• The two existing seniority lists of CCS’s (Claim Centres and CCIC), will be merged into one list and as a result, the provisions of Article 12.04 (j) will be eliminated. This means that ICBC is giving up their ability to schedule CCS’s at CCIC to work Saturdays or extended hours. This also means that vacation signup and fortnight day selection will be on a province-wide system, with the merged list, from 2022 and onwards.

Customer Recovery Specialists (CRS)

• The new job title, Senior Support and Recovery Specialist, has been valued and agreed upon at SG12. It is our understanding that the change to this new salary group will occur in early March. ICBC will advise all staff of the exact date which will coincide with training.
• Vacation and fortnight day selection will continue to be provincially scheduled, as it is today.

Claims Specialists (CS)

• Claims Specialist will, over an extended period of time, transition into the role of Senior Support and Recovery Specialist. This will be a very long and gradual transition, as the amount of work that remains in the ‘old book’ is significant and requires the dedicated skill set of this group to help wind it down.
• As long as you remain in the role of Claims Specialist, your vacation will continue to be scheduled based on your headquarters. Over the years to come, as the work winds down, and Claims Specialists transition to the new Senior Support and Recovery Specialist position, any approved vacation and nine-day-fortnight will be honoured. Once you have transitioned into the new role, you will be merged into the list for provincially scheduled vacation and fortnight day selection.

Senior Customer Recovery Specialists (SCRS)

• The new job title, Advanced Support and Recovery Specialist, has been valued and agreed upon at SG13. It is our understanding that the change to this new salary group will occur in early March. ICBC will advise all staff of the exact date which will coincide with training.
• Vacation will continue to be scheduled based on your headquarters.
• Hours of work will continue to be scheduled as outlined in 12.05 (b).

Claims Legal Services

• There are no changes in the immediate future for our members in Claims Legal Services. In fact, ICBC advises that they need all of you now, and for many years to come, due to the large number of pending files and the skillset this team has to support this work. We know that many members are concerned about their long-term future at ICBC. We have achieved assurances from ICBC that as the work in litigation winds down, both ICBC and MoveUP will work together on career development plans and career transition support to enable you to continue to work for ICBC.

Very soon, ICBC will be sharing more information about the changes, including timelines, as we head toward May 1, 2021. We encourage everyone to read the materials provided and ask questions. As well, we have a team of stewards who will be available to answer your questions, deal with rumours, and help everyone understand how they will be impacted by the implementation of Enhanced Care. We can be reached by email at ICBCConnect@moveuptogether.ca.

In solidarity,

Annette Toth, Vice President
Kevin Smyth, Senior Union Representative

 

File Number: 20-ICBC-EnhancedCareAgreement-Dec3

Union Label: AT:sk usw2009

Reply to: skutay@moveuptogether.ca