Bargaining
Update on IRCC Contract
January 19, 2017
All Members at Burnaby English Language Centre
This is in follow up to our January 17 bulletin in which we shared information provided to us by the employer to the effect that Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has amended their offer of a contract extension from 2018 to 2020. As previously noted, this amended offer includes additional cuts in the years following 2018.
Specifically, in addition to the 2017/2018 cuts previously announced, and discussed in membership meetings, the employer has informed us that IRCC is cutting $100,000 from the budget for 2018/2019 and $90,000 for 2019/2020.
The employer is required to submit a budget to IRCC by January 24. The employer has indicated that they intend to propose the following methods of accommodating the reduced budget, in addition to the previously noted 2017/2018 cuts:
Contract Year April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019:
One additional full time class to be closed and one full time class to be changed to AM only effective April 1, 2018.
| School Closure Dates |
School Closure Dates |
| July 30 – August 31, 2018 | |
| September 7 & 21, 2018 | September 6 & 20, 2018 |
| October 5 & 19, 2018 | October 4 &18, 2018 |
| November 2, 16 & 30, 2018 | November 1, 15 & 29, 2018 |
| December 14, 2018 | December 13, 2018 |
| December 24, 2018 – January 4, 2019 | |
| January 11 & 25, 2019 | January 10 & 24, 2019 |
| February 8 & 22, 2019 | February 7 & 21, 2019 |
| March 8 & 29, 2019 | March 7 & 28, 2019 |
| March 11 – 22, 2019 |
Contract Year April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020:
One evening class to be closed, and two full time classes to change to AM only effective April 1, 2019.
| School Closure Dates |
School Closure Dates |
| July 19, 2019 | July 18, 2019 |
| July 29 – August 30, 2019 | |
| September 6 & 20, 2019 | September 5 & 19, 2019 |
| October 4 & 18, 2019 | October 3, 17 & 31, 2019 |
| November 1, 15 & 29, 2019 | November 14 & 28, 2019 |
| December 13, 2019 | December 12, 2019 |
| December 23, 2019 – January 3, 2020 | |
| Jan 10 & 24, 2020 | |
| February 7 & 21, 2020 | Feb 6 & 20, 2020 |
| March 6, 2020 | March 5, 2020 |
| March 16 – 27, 2020 |
No wage increase on April 1, 2019 (2017/2018 wage increases would still apply).
We have also been notified that the closure dates for 2017/2018 will need to be increased by two days as the employer had not included the two December stats in their previous calculation. The previously anticipated July closure will be moved to August per the majority request at our previous meeting.
The union will continue to discuss possibilities for mitigating the impacts of these cuts on our members, based on the feedback provided at our recent membership meetings and communicated by some of you via email. We will also be discussing the employer’s plans for the impending layoffs, which must be done in accordance with the collective agreement. It should be noted that all of this information relates to the proposed budget which will be submitted to IRCC, and is subject to their approval and possible amendment.
As further information becomes available I will provide further updates and call additional meetings as needed. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns either by email or phone at 604-473-3859.
In Solidarity,
Stephen Von Sychowski
Union Representative