CBA

Please note that from October 3-24, 2017, Darlene Alldred will be backfilling Benita Spindel as the EDMP Representative.  Should you require EDMP assistance during this period, please contact Darlene at:

 

Email: cupepea2.edmp@outlook.com

Telephone: 250-508-0968

 

It is expected that Benita Spindel will be resuming these responsibilities on October 24, 2017.  Benita’s contact information will continue to be email: cupepea.edmp@outlook.com and telephone: 250-508-0968.

To:     All CUPE Members, CBA

The CBA represents more than 15,000 members, the majority of whom are BCGEU members. CUPE represents approximately 550 members in this sector in CUPE Locals; 15, 4816, 3403, 3495. The other unions represented are UFCW, HEU, HSA and USW.

Section 4 of the MOA established the comparability increases in the current collective agreement and gives approximately 80% of the FTEs (full time equivalents) in the Community Subsector comparability increases of 1% on April 1, 2016, 0.5% on April 1, 2017 and 0.5% on April 1, 2018. These increases will narrow the gap between Community and Facilities jobs doing the same or similar work, and which have comparable benchmarks.

We are pleased to confirm the process has now been completed and although it was not completed in time for the April 1, 2016 implementation date, the increases will be retroactive to April 1, 2016.

Wage increases for eligible employees will increase starting the first pay period after the following dates and at the respective rates:

• 1.0%     April 1, 2016
• 0.5%     April 1, 2017
• 0.5%     April 1, 2018

The parties could not agree on the list of eligible classifications and went to arbitration. On June 17,2016 Arbitrator Vincent Ready delivered his Decision giving the comparability increases to the following eligible classifications:

Classification:

• Administrative Support 3
• Activity Worker
• Administrative Support 4
• Community Health Worker 2
• Resident Care Aide
• Support Worker 1
• Scheduler 1
• Scheduler 2
• Support Worker 2

The new wage rates, including the 0.5% general wage increase and 1.0% Comparability increase as of the first pay period after April 1, 2016 are as follows:

Old Grid	New Grid	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4
5	5A	$17.68	$18.31	$18.90	$19.52
8	8A	$19.52	$20.12	$20.74	$21.34
9	9A	$20.41	$21.01	$21.64	$22.24
10	10A	$21.34	$21.94	$22.56	$23.15

The new wage grid showing the Comparability increases.

FAQ:

When will I get my increase?

You should receive your raise and retroactive payment within the next two pay periods.

How do I know if my job is included in one of the eligible classifications?

Check your job description. The classifications are the benchmarks contained in the Community Health Job Evaluation Plan. Each Employer develops job descriptions for the positions they need and matches the job descriptions to a classification (benchmark). There may be many different job descriptions matched to the same classification and each job description should show the classification it is matched to.

What if I have changed classifications and no longer work in one of the eligible classifications?

If you were in an eligible classification on April 1, 2016 and subsequently moved to a classification that is not eligible, you will receive payment for the hours you worked in the eligible classification from April 1, 2016 until the last day you worked under that classification.

What if I started working in an eligible classification after April 1, 2016?

You will receive the increase and retroactive payment back to your first day in the eligible classification.

What if I am red-circled and work in an eligible classification?

Red-circled employees who work in an eligible classification will receive the comparability increases and retroactive payment the same as other eligible employees. Your wage rate will not appear on the grid above. The increase will be 1% of your current rate of pay.

For more information, please see:

https://bcchs.cupe.ca/cba-updates/support-worker-2s-qualify-comparability

https://bcchs.cupe.ca/www/cba-updates/cba-update-comparability-increases

https://bcchs.cupe.ca/www/cba-updates/comparability-increases-call

BURNABY – Further to our previous update in March, arbitrator Vince Ready has issued a letter decision confirming that the support worker 2 classification (SW2) should not be excluded from comparability monies. The June 17 letter decision is as follows:

I am in receipt of the HEABC’s May 27, 2016 response to my earlier request for clarification regarding churn statistics for the Support Worker 2 classification. I am also in receipt of a May 17, 2016 letter from BCGEU asking to send information to me prior to any ultimate determination. For reasons which will become evident, I do not require further information from the Union.

HEABC’s May 27th churn statistics too narrowly defines “like” positions” as “comparator” positions. Moving to a “like” position, as I consider the term, encompasses movement from Community to the Facilities Subsector into any position in the same general category (i.e., all clerical positions or all patient care positions), not only movement to a specific comparator position.

I do not propose to pursue further modification of the analytical paradigm in this case. Further parsing and statistical analysis, absent a solid agreed-upon data foundation, would only exacerbate the dispute.

What is evident from the current data is that the total outflow percentages for the three subject classifications are comparable. Even using the Employer’s narrowly structured churn rate percentages (of total population), the rate for SW2 is 0%, and the rate for AS3 is 0.1%; hardly a significant variance on which to fundamentally distinguish between the two classifications.

In short, the available turnover/churn statistics comparing the SW2, AS3 and CHW2 classifications are not significantly dissimilar enough as to justify the exclusion of the SW2 Classification from receipt of comparability monies. Accordingly, I award the distribution proposal of the Union; that is the proposal which includes SW2.

VINCENT L. READY

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We look forward to working with the CBA to advance the process of implementing comparability rates for all affected workers. We await further information from the CBA in the near future as to next steps.

To:     All Members, Community Health Bargaining Association (CBA)

The CBA represents more than 15,000 members, the majority of whom are BCGEU members. CUPE represents approximately 600 members in this sector. The other unions represented are UFCW, HEU, HSA and USW.

Section 4 of the MOA established the comparability increases in the current collective agreement and gives approximately 80% of the FTEs (full time equivalents) in the Community Subsector comparability increases of 1% on April 1, 2016, 0.5% on April 1, 2017 and 0.5% on April 1, 2018. These increases will narrow the gap between Community and Facilities jobs doing the same or similar work, and which have comparable benchmarks.

The process of determining which classifications will receive comparability increases is ongoing. The CBA and HEABC were unable to agree on all of the classifications to be included. We were also unable to agree on which Facilities benchmarks were appropriate for nine of the classifications brought forward for possible inclusion. The issue was submitted to arbitrator Vince Ready in mid-December and we have now received his decision.

Ready’s decision only addressed the appropriate benchmarks for the specific classifications. It did not address which classifications would receive the increases. The CBA continues to work with HEABC to reach agreement and implement the comparability increases. While the process was not completed in time for the April 1, 2016 implementation date, the increases once agreed to will be retroactive to the first full pay period after April 1, 2016.

Once agreement between the HEABC and CBA has been reached, we will advise members of which classifications will receive the comparability monies.