The Community Social Services Employers' Association has reached a tentative agreement with the Community Social Services Bargaining Association under the government's 2010 mandate, announced Finance Minister Kevin Falcon.

The tentative agreement covers approximately 14,000 employees, working for more than 200 contracted agencies, who deliver services to British Columbia's most vulnerable citizens. Bargaining association members are expected to vote on the agreement in the coming weeks.

Government has already announced its intention to control spending on wages during this round of bargaining. To protect jobs and preserve vital services British Columbians depend on, the Province has no funding for new wage increases as collective agreements are renewed.

Quick Facts:

• There are approximately 306,000 unionized workers in occupations throughout B.C.'s public sector, the great majority of which have agreements that expired between March 31, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010.
• More than two-thirds of those employees have now renegotiated agreements that were set to expire in 2010, including agreements covering 99 per cent of health-care workers.

Learn More:

Updated bargaining information is available at:

http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/psec/bargaining2010/

Contact:

Jamie Edwardson
Communications Manager
Ministry of Finance
250 356-9872