CUPE 1936

Bulletin Bargaining your new Community Social Services April 14 2025

Bargaining your new Community Social Services Collective Agreement starts soon!

Greetings to all members in the community and social services,

We are gearing up to start negotiating your new Collective Agreement. Bargaining is set to begin mid-May, and right now, your Bargaining Committee is in preparation mode, busy creating the proposal package that reflects all unions’ identified priorities.

A collective agreement is a written contract that sets out the terms and conditions of your employment and includes elements such as wages, benefits, working hours, and grievance procedures.

In Community Social Services your Collective Agreement is the result of bargaining, a process where your Union, through the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) and your Employer, represented by the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA), negotiate a group Agreement.

As you may know, our current Collective Agreement expired on Monday, March 31st. We want to reassure you that the terms of our Agreement will stay in effect until a new one is negotiated and ratified. So, it remains business as usual for you and your coworkers.

In solidarity,

Your Community Social Services Bargaining Association

(CSSBA) Negotiating Committee

Hi there,

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Apr 16, 2025 06:30 PM Vancouver

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Xn8LExW6QkWFeMdw4JvkPg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CSSEA and the Community Social Services Bargaining Association of Unions (CSSBA) are
pleased to announce that the Community Social Services Labour Adjustment and Education
Fund (LAEF) has extended the submission period to December 31, 2025, for applications for
education and training funding. Details on the fund, eligibility criteria and application forms
can be found on the LAEF website.

If you were previously denied funding because your education or training did not begin before
March 31, 2025, we kindly ask that you either re-apply using the LAEF online submission form,
or send an email to LAEF@bcgeu.ca to have your application placed back in the queue.
What is the LAEF?

The Community Social Services Labour Adjustment and Education Fund is a joint initiative of
CSSEA and CSSBA. The purpose of the LAEF is to enhance the skills of frontline community
social services workers by providing relevant professional development. It also prioritizes and
offers additional support and retraining for workers impacted by layoffs, downsizing, or
restructuring so workers can continue to be employed in the community social services sector.

Who Can Apply for Funding?
The constituent unions of the CSSBA, CSSEA, employers, individuals or groups may apply for
funding. Education and training must be relevant to continuing work in the community social
services sector. All applications will be reviewed by the LAEF Joint Steering Committee based
on the eligibility criteria and funding amounts set out by CSSEA and CSSBA. For a full list of
eligibility criteria, please refer to the attached Eligibility and Funding Guidelines or at the
above website. Applications will be reviewed on a regular, ongoing basis.
How Much Funding is Available to Me?

The following chart illustrates the maximum amount of funding available to applicants for the
funding term April 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025. If an individual or group applies for and
receives a lesser amount than the maximum available, they may submit additional application(s)
in the future.

Type of Application Maximum Amount of Funding
Individual $3,000
Individual impacted by layoffs, downsizing or
restructuring

$5,000
Group $10,000
Group impacted by layoffs, downsizing or
restructuring

$15,000

For More Information
If you have further questions not answered on the LAEF website, please e-mail laef@bcgeu.ca

Please find attached the Amended By-Laws for CUPE Local 1936 members to review. We will be voting to adopt them at our next membership meeting, April 16th, 2025 @ 6:30pm via zoom.  Please come to that General Membership Meeting so that you will be able to vote to adopt or if you have any questions.

As a union member and as this is your local it is important to have your input.

Local 1936 Bylaws Draft-Final-March 2025 (2)-2

Invite to the membership meeting belo

Hi there,

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Apr 16, 2025 06:30 PM Vancouver

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Xn8LExW6QkWFeMdw4JvkPg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Hi there,

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Mar 19, 2025 06:30 PM Vancouver

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Xn8LExW6QkWFeMdw4JvkPg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

A new resource flyer being put out by National regarding migrant workers and their rights since the federal government’s changes to immigration policies.       Migrant Workers Flyer BIL

Greetings:   This is a friendly reminder that CUPE BC will be hosting the following webinar next week on Wednesday, March 5^th.  Please see below for more details and register using the link provided:

 Sex Work 101: Destigmatizing Sex Work and Working in Solidarity

Wednesday, March 5, 2025  ,    6:00 – 9:00 pm PST with breaks.     Registration Link: Click here

Led by PACE Society, this webinar will provide members with an overview of what sex work is, what it isn’t, and why people get into it. It will review myths and facts about sex work, examine the law in detail, look at current legal challenges and why sex workers need decriminalization. During the webinar, the presenter will also debunk the conflation of human trafficking and sex work, discuss stigma and ways to counteract it, best practices for front line workers, history and current situation with police, and what unions can do to help remove obstacles to sex worker’s inclusion in the labour movement.

This event is being organized by the CUPE BC Women’s and Gender Rights Committee in partnership with PACE Society. It will be held in webinar format with breaks throughout.

 ABOUT THE PRESENTER:    Kit is a queer, non-binary, multiply disabled anti-zionist jewish settler originally from Treaty 7 Territory in aka Calgary. They have been with PACE since 2017 in a variety of roles and are currently the Community Co-executive director.

 SAFETY REMINDER & OMBUDSPERSON CONTACT:   CUPE BC is committed to creating a union that is inclusive, welcoming, and free from harassment, discrimination and all types of bullying and intimidation. For this web event, an Ombudsperson has been designated to provide support for members to ensure their safety during and afterwards. Member attendees are encouraged to reach out for confidential, one-on-one support from the ombudsperson. Contact information will be circulated at the beginning of the webinar.

 Should you have any questions regarding this email, please email events@cupe.bc.ca for additional information.

 In solidarity:  CUPE British Columbia.   #410-6222 Willingdon Avenue.   Burnaby, British Columbia.   V5H 0G3.    P: 604.291.9119    www.cupe.bc.ca

With so many of our waking hours spent at work, it’s important to create a workplace that encourages positive mental health and is psychologically safe. Everyone has a role to play.