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B.C. Salvation Army workers sign first agreement

BCGEU also negotiates new collective agreement at St. James Daycare Society.

BCGEUVancouver (10 Sept. 2010) - The British Columbia Government and General Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) says Salvation Army employees at Ocean Crest Community Ministries in Campbell River and Port Hardy have ratified a first collective agreement by a 95% vote.

The employees perform a diverse range of jobs including thrift store clerk, warehouse worker, residential worker, extreme weather shelter worker, administrator and program coordinator.

The two-year agreement, which expires on March 31, 2012, provides for wage increases ranging from 3% to 14%, retroactive to April 1, 2010. Workers will also receive an additional 2% on April 1, 2011, plus signing bonuses that range from $100 for casual employees to $200 for regular employees.

Other gains include seniority rights in position postings and improvements in vacation selection and shift scheduling. Regular employees working less than 37.5 hours a week will also be able to register for additional hours. Work will be offered in order of seniority.

Casual employees will benefit as well. The agreement outlines an orderly process for offering available work. External applicants will be hired to posted positions only in cases where no qualified candidate has been identified through the internal posting process.

St. James Daycare Society

BCGEU also reports that an agreement has been reached at the St. James Daycare Society in Vancouver. The new collective agreement includes language changes on hours of work and payment of allowances.

Other highlights include:

  • An increase in the vehicle allowance to match the amount in the B.C. government master agreement and reimbursement for receipted parking.
  • An improved dental plan.
  • Wage increases of 2% retroactive to April 1, 2010, 2% on April 1, 2011 and 2% on April 1, 2012.

Concerns over the use of a "regular substitute" worker were also addressed. The employer has made a decision to create and post a regular part-time position.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE