Bargaining
BCGEU – Bargaining Update #2
June 18, 2026
To: All MoveUP members at BCGEU
Bargaining with the employer has continued throughout May and June, with the parties having met a total of 9 days. Many non-monetary items have been signed by the parties and the employer has been forced to withdraw many of their more contentious non-monetary items. When we met on June 10th, we tabled our monetary package and the employer outlined the limits of their monetary proposals.
We will continue to meet with the employer for two additional dates on July 13th and July 15th. We hope to secure additional dates during these meetings.
The employer is seeking concessions on our benefits package. Before 2021, our prescription drug coverage was 80% to the first $1000 and 100% for any additional expenses. We accomplished the 100% coverage model in 2021.
When the employer chose to move from D.A. Townley to Sunlife, Sunlife didn’t cover 100% of all prescriptions. This resulted in members having to pay upfront the portion that was not covered by Sunlife.
Grievances were filed and an arbitrator ruled that the 100% prescription drug coverage was, unambiguously, 100% prescription drug coverage in a December 2023 award by Arbitrator Margurite Jackson. The employer has sought to undermine this right. British Columbia’s largest union is claiming that a progressive and comprehensive benefits package for its employees is not financially sustainable.
We will continue to fight for a fair contract that does not make any concessions this round. We intend to build on the gains we have secured in previous rounds. These gains include the current remote work language, which the employer had wanted to run as a pilot program in 2021 with limits to one person per day per department or office allowed. In 2017, we increased wage indemnity coverage to 100% of basic pay for regular employees. Wage indemnity was previously 75% with an option to use our vacation, vacation bonus or overtime to cover the remainder. We secured wage indemnity entitlement and sick leave for temporary employees in 2021, before this was covered by the Employment Standards Act. Last but not least, we secured parity with BCUWU on our benefits package in 2021.
As you know, none of these were given freely to us, the current and previous generations of MoveUP members at BCGEU have fought for dignity, privilege, and fairness in our workplace. It is our turn to fight.
In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Committee:
Doris Stowe, Executive Councillor
Liam Kennedy-Slaney, Executive Councillor
Eddie Mishra, Bargaining Committee Member
Hope Aurum, Bargaining Committee Member
Phillip Bargen, Union Representative