Bulletin
BC Transit – Recap of our recent telephone townhall call
July 13, 2022
To: All MoveUP members at BC Transit
We would like to thank all our members who participated on our telephone townhall on June 29, 2022.
As we know there were some members who were unable to attend or were unable to receive a call. While our dialing system is very effective, at times it may encounter connection issues particularly if the receiver is in a poor coverage area or has unknown calls blocked on their phone.
For those who were not able to join the call, we have put together a Q&A summary here on what was discussed.
What happens if the BCGEU members in the public sector go out on strike?
At the present time, the BCGEU has indicated that they are planning for strategic, targeted job action. Those strategies could include things such as an overtime ban or work-to-rule (i.e. working to the strictest interpretation of the rule). That means there likely won’t be any picket lines going up any time soon.
In the event a picket line does go up, if you are part of a shared office or otherwise encounter a picket line, then you would be expected to respect the picket line and not cross. In that event, our office will be in coordination with your job stewards to get information out to you as quickly as possible.
The government recently shared information that they offered an 11% raise over three years. How does that affect our bargaining?
The recent proposal that was shared by the BC government was, in some ways, a positive given that it was a significant improvement on what was initially proposed as reported (roughly half of that figure).
We are supportive of getting the best deal possible for our members and we will bargain accordingly so as to ensure that outcome without compromising the work that our labour movement partners are engaging in overall.
Will John Horgan stepping down as BC Premier affect bargaining?
No, although we are sure the Premier would like to see fair deal being reached for all parties before he formally relinquishes his position. We also remind members that while the public sector bargaining process may feel frustrating, our negotiators have seen a significant difference in dealing with this government versus the previous BC Liberal governments where 0% wage increases or even wage cuts were frequently tabled, not to mention contracts being torn up or reneged on after being signed (just ask teachers or nurses).
When are our next scheduled bargaining dates?
We will begin bargaining on September 20, 21, and 22.
Will we have an opportunity to see the proposals before they go to the employer?
We are planning for a meeting in early September to provide an overview of the proposals and process.
After we have formally presented the proposals to the employer, that is when we will be able to share them with you. It is not strategically wise to send that our ahead of time because if the employer gets advanced knowledge of what we have in our proposals before they are presented, they get the advantage of countering what we have. That is not to our benefit.
Are we going to go on strike now that the latest BCGEU offer was rejected?
Although the BCGEU members are in a legal position to strike now, they would still legally have to provide 72-hour notice before engaging in any strike activity. We are nowhere near that point in our bargaining.
If we were to contemplate job action, we would first need to do a strike vote with you and your bargaining unit.
Once an agreement is reached, will there be retroactive pay?
Depending on the terms of the settlement, we would ask for retroactive pay back to the date that the collective agreement expired.
Is there any way we can support our bargaining committee?
Please continue to stay informed about what is happening. At this point that is the best way to support the bargaining committee. We will of course inform members if opportunities to support arise.
If you have any questions or concerns about bargaining, please connect with us by emailing Shawn Lakusta.
In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Committee:
Kayla De Puit, Job Steward
Glen Redden, Executive Councillor
Tiffany Rivers, Job Steward
Sal Ruffolo, Executive Councillor
Shawn Lakusta, Union Representative