Bargaining
BCGEU Bargaining Update #1
April 30, 2026
To: All MoveUP members at BCGEU
Bargaining with the employer began in earnest on April 16 and 17 when we exchanged housekeeping and non-monetary proposals.
The employer’s committee includes Laarni de los Reyes, Sarah Fawns, Chris Rutherford, Lisa Lane, Simon Tai and Dean Crawford (from Crawford, Munroe, Thomson LLP). The employer has chosen to hire an external consultant as their lead negotiator at significant expense to the organization. The employer tabled proposals that, in our view, amount to concessions on our rights and benefits as workers.
We want to be unequivocal: we will NOT accept concessions.
We have bargaining dates set on May 11, 12, 14, June 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10. We will keep you updated on an ongoing basis.
Cell Phone Use
We understand that some MoveUP members have been asked to use their personal cell phones as part of their work duties (i.e. MFA, communications, reviewing coffee machines, etc.). We have had conversations on this subject at Joint Labour Management meetings, and the employer has agreed that they would inform the Directors that administration staff should not be using their personal cell phones for work-related tasks. Our position remains the same as the prior round of bargaining: if you are required to use a cell phone in the course of your duties, for any reason, the employer should either be providing this equipment, or you should receive a stipend to cover expenses associated with the phone. We cannot win this entitlement if administration staff continue to use personal cell phones for work purposes. Such use will undermine our position.
In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Committee:
Doris Stowe, Job Steward
Hope Aurum, Job Steward
Eddie Mishra, Job Steward
Liam Kennedy-Slaney, Job Steward
Phillip Bargen, Union Representative