BCH & Powertech – Bargaining Update # 9: Tentative agreement reached with BC Hydro

We are pleased to announce that late last Friday night, your bargaining committee has successfully reached a tentative agreement with your employer, BC Hydro, on a new collective agreement. A summary of the tentative agreement can be found below.

You can also click here to read a copy of the Memorandum of Agreement.

Your bargaining committee is strongly recommending ratification of the tentative collective agreement.

Please join us this coming Wednesday, February 15, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. when we host a telephone town hall meeting where we will provide more details about the tentative agreement and answer any questions you may have. All you have to do is answer your phone when we call.

The ratification vote will take place on the MoveUP Member Portal starting at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 16 and ending at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 23. Please be sure to log on to the Member Portal, or create an account if you have not already done so, as soon as possible. You can find information on how to access the Member Portal here.

Thank you for your support throughout the bargaining process.

In solidarity,

Mike Novak, Union Representative-Lead Negotiator
Javed Saheb, Union Representative
Rysa Kronebusch, Vice-President, Utilities
Anderson Charles, Bargaining Committee Member
Calvin Jonas, Bargaining Committee Member
Rhys Coulter, Bargaining Committee Member
Shelly Johnston, Bargaining Committee Member
Kelly Cammack, Bargaining Committee Member

Summary of Tentative Agreement

Term:

• Three (3) year term April 2022 to April 2025

General Wage Increases:

• Effective April 1, 2022: Increase salaries a flat rate of $0.25 per hour and then a 3.24% general wage increase. 

• Effective April 1, 2023: Increase salaries to a minimum of 5.5% and a maximum of 6.75%, subject to the COLA.

• Effective April 1, 2024: Increase salaries to a minimum of 2.0% and a maximum of 3.0%, subject to the COLA.

General Wage Increase for MOU 85 employees:

Salary Transition

2. The salaries of MOU 85 Employees:  

In addition to the wage increases above MOU 85 employees will see increases as follows:

• Effective the date of ratification, increase salaries by 25 cents an hour.
• Effective the date of ratification, increase salaries by 5%.
• Effective March 31, 2024, MOU85 salary scales will be eliminated and MOU 85 Employees will be placed on the wage scales in Article 4.04. MOU 85 Employees will be placed on the step in their job group that is closest to, without being less than, their wage rate in effect as of March 31, 2024.
• Effective April 1, 2024 MOU 85 will and be retired.

Additional Wage Increases:

1. 4% wage premium for Restoration Centre workers (compensation for end of shift handover)
2. 3.12% wage increase for all employees in exchange for removing gainshare which is non-pensionable, not compounding, mandatory and unachievable metrics.
3. 150% Statutory holiday premium for MOU 85 employees
4. 12% Sunday premium for MOU 85 employees

Note: In addition to the above, all eligible employees shall receive Gainshare for fiscal year 2022 and paid out in June 2023.

Example of total wages increase for MOU 85 in 2023:

3.24% (retro April 2022) + $0.25 (retro April 2022, about 1%) + 6.75% (max amount in April 2023) + 5% (negotiated low wage redress) + $0.25 (negotiated low wage redress, about 1%) + 3.12% (exchange for gainshare) + 3.5% (average gainshare for F22, paid in June 2023) = 23.61% estimated increase in 2023

Health and Welfare Benefits Increases:

Effective January 1, 2023:

1. Increase paramedical services from $1500.00 to an annual maximum of $1750.00 per calendar year.
2. Increase eye examination from $150.00 to $200.00 per family in any 24-month period.
3. Increase orthodontics lifetime maximum from $2500.00 to $3000.00 per person. (Not included in level 1 benefits)
4. Increase hearing aid reimbursement from $1000.00 to $2000.00 over 5 benefit years.
5. Increase mental health benefit from $2500.00 to $2750.00 per person per calendar year.

Note, there will be a variance based on the level of benefits you have selected, Level 1, 2 or 3.

Effective January 1, 2025:

1. Increase paramedical services from $1750.00 to $2000.00 per person per calendar year.

Meals and Allowances:

1. Increase living out allowance from $130.00 to $152.00 with general wage increase applied.
2. $5.00 added to the living out allowance effective April 1, 2024 plus general wage increase.
3. Cooking out allowance increased from $25.00 to $78.00 plus general wage increase applied.

Addition Leave:

1. Increase Statutory Holidays from 12 to 13, added National Day of Truth and Reconciliation
2. Added 5 sick days for casual employees in accordance with the Employment Standards Act
3. Added 2 days of paid cultural leave for indigenous members.
4. Additional 2 paid days for domestic and sexual violence leave in accordance with the Employment Standards Act, now 5 days.
5. Increased paid leave of absence for Union Stewards and Officers on Union business at Powertech from 70 hours annually to 110 hours annually.

Personal Vehicle Allowance:

1. Increase amount from $0.55/km to $0.68/km.
2. Increase amount for 4×4 from $0.765/km to $0.95/km.

Child Care Reimbursement:

1. Increase childcare from $25.00 to $50.00 per day.

Mica Creek & Bridge River:

1. Increase remote incentive from 16% to 20%

Standby:

1. New standby provision for all employees (with an exit clause if it does not work)

Shift workers:

1. Shift Trades for employees at the Restoration Center (allow flexibility for those employees who have prescheduled RWWL days and 24hr shift schedules)

Memorandum of Understanding 85 Summary:

1. deleted pages 258 – 267
2. deleted MOU 85A pages 268 – 275
3. deleted MOU 85B, 85C, 85D,
4. deleted pages 294 – 299

File Number: 23-BCH-BARG-BLTN-Bargaining-Update-#-9-February-8

Union Label: MN:skm USW2009

Reply to: skreuzkamp-mcgowan@moveuptogether.ca