A tentative agreement has been reached under the Cooperative Gains Mandate between Community Living BC (CLBC) and the BCGEU, the first at a Crown agency, Moira Stilwell, Minister of Social Development announced today.

The BCGEU represents about 350 unionized workers at CLBC that deliver support and services to adults with developmental disabilities and their families throughout British Columbia.

The two-year agreement provides for modest wage increases, which are being funded from savings found within CLBC's existing budget, without reducing services or increasing fees, as required under government's Cooperative Gains Mandate.

Government has been clear that there is no new money to fund wage increases and there is no desire to download these costs onto families or future generations. The Cooperative Gains Mandate provides public sector employers with the ability to negotiate modest wage increases through savings within existing budgets. Settlements under the 2012 Mandate are expected to be unique between sectors and between employers in some sectors.

No further details on the agreements will be available until ratification is complete.

Quotes:

Minister of Social Development Moira Stilwell -

"This agreement shows that a Cooperative Gains Mandate can lead to a negotiated settlement without sacrificing services to individuals with developmental disabilities or their families. I would like to thank the negotiators on both sides of the table for their hard work in making this agreement happen. I hope that negotiators at other tables will be able to reach agreements soon."

Minister of Finance Michael de Jong -

"Despite the tough fiscal environment, the tentative agreements announced in the past month show significant progress is being made under the Cooperative Gains Mandate. I encourage employers and unions across the public sector to continue negotiating because agreements can be reached."

Quick Facts:

• The new 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate applies to all public sector employers whose collective agreements expire on or after Dec. 31, 2011.
• Under the Cooperative Gains Mandate, tentative agreements have been reached with the BCGEU for the public service, the BC Nurses Union, Professional Residents of BC and with support staff unions at two research universities.
• About 300,000 unionized workers are employed in the public service, at Crown corporations and agencies, and in the K-12, post-secondary, health and community social services sectors.

Learn More:

Updated bargaining information is available at: http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/psec/

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Social Development
250 356-1670

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Finance
250 356-2821