Bulletin
Out of Province work at BC Transit
To: All MoveUP Members at BC Transit
The issue of members working out of province has arisen on several occasions at BC Transit. Your union and the employer have discussed the issue on each time it has arisen pertaining to specific requests and living arrangements. Your union would like to take this opportunity to clarify its position on the issue as there are differences between our position and that of the employer.
Although working out of province and remote work in general have been practices in some workplaces for many years, the issues moved to the forefront during the covid pandemic and as the technology to work remotely has evolved. Your union has been exposed to many different attitudes and arrangements at various employers. We have researched the issue from both practical and legal perspectives and our position on the matter has evolved from this work. At all times we want what is best and fairest for our entire membership.
Your union’s position on out of province work is quite simple. Our position is that temporary out of province work is permissible under current labour legislation and the collective bargaining agreement. This would include working elsewhere in Canada or anywhere in the world. We can not condone permanent out of province work because under the current British Columbia Labour Code and Employment Standards Act someone permanently residing outside of the province would not fall under the jurisdiction of these laws. There may come a day when the laws change and there is increased flexibility in terms of permanent residency outside of the province. Your union will continue to monitor the relevant legal statutes and adjust our policies accordingly.
BC Transit has their own policy regarding out of province work arrangements concerning bargaining unit members. Occasionally members report to the union that their management denied their request with a comment such as: “the union won’t allow it” or the “the union and the employer won’t allow it”. We believe every request should be considered and our only opposition is to requests that relate to permanent residency out of province. We want to ensure that our members are aware of our position.
If you are unsure about what you have heard in response to a request to work out of province, please seek out a job steward or contact Shawn at slakusta@moveuptogether.ca. We will do our best to ensure that you a have received the correct information and can make an informed decision.
In Solidarity,
Shawn Lakusta, Union Representative
Christy Slusarenko, Vice President