Seasons Greetings and Solidarity! A message from Jamey Mills
Friends,
On behalf of the staff in the Regional Executive Vice President’s and Collective Bargaining Branch Offices, and the Vancouver and Victoria Regional Offices, I wish you and your families a happy holiday season.
Looking back at 2019, I want to thank and acknowledge all the members across BC who have worked hard to help build our union: whether by taking action in the workplace in support of our bargaining teams, by signing a petition or taking action online, by emailing an MP or federal election candidate, by volunteering on one of our outreach campaigns, by participating in an Area Council or Regional Committee, serving as a Steward, Health and Safety Representative or Local Executive member, taking union training or by being a part of making our union stronger in one of so any other ways.
You make our working lives and our communities better - thank you!
Looking forward to 2020, your efforts will be front and centre at the 2020 PSAC BC Regional Convention, which will be the largest and most representative in our history thanks to changes to the delegate allocation formula made by PSAC in 2018.
In 2020, PSAC BC will also continue our focus on bargaining. Last year - thanks to members’ solidarity and support of their bargaining team - we successfully negotiated new collective agreements for our members working at Purolator, as Commissionaires on Vancouver Island, and fuelers at Vancouver airport. And in 2020 bargaining for members working at Statistics Canada, Canada Post, First Nations Health Authority, Granville Island, NavCanada, BWXT and Victoria airport is expected to get underway as collective agreements expire.
The bargaining process is still ongoing for members working at IMP Comox and, of course, PSAC members working for the federal government are still waiting for a fair deal at the bargaining table and compensation for the Phoenix pay disaster. We will increase our workplace actions and continue to mobilize until a fair settlement is reached.
As I have always said: my door is always open, and my phone is almost always on. I look forward to continuing to talk to and meet with members throughout BC as we work towards fair collective agreements for all our members, as we keep the pressure on the employer to pay federal government workers correctly and on time, and as we work together on campaigns that will make our province and our communities better places to live.
Happy Holidays,
Jamey Mills,
PSAC Regional Executive Vice-President, BC