The Legal Services Society and the BCGEU have reached a tentative agreement under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond announced today.

This is the first three-year agreement to be reached under the mandate, which allows employers and unions flexibility to negotiate the length of agreements, provided they are at least two years long. The tentative agreement provides for modest wage increases, which are being funded from savings found within existing budgets, as required under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate.

The Legal Services Society employs approximately 110 BCGEU members, including Tariff Accounts Examiners responsible for processing lawyer payments, intake legal assistants responsible for processing client legal aid applications and providing legal information, as well as IT staff and administrative personnel at locations in the Lower Mainland and Terrace.

More than half of the people working in B.C.'s public sector now have tentative or ratified agreements settled under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate. This represents about one-third of all agreements.

The B.C. 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 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate provides public-sector employers with the ability to negotiate modest wage increases funded from savings within existing budgets, not adding costs to taxpayers and ratepayers, and not sacrificing services.

Settlements under the 2012 mandate are expected to be unique between sectors and between employers in some sectors.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond -

"This agreement with the Legal Services Society is an important part of achieving B.C.'s justice reform agenda. Maintaining co-operative partnerships across the justice system is the only way to achieve our goal of a timely, accessible justice system that's there for British Columbians when they need it."

"I would like to thank the negotiators on both sides of the table for their hard work in making this agreement happen."

Minister of Finance Michael de Jong -

"More than half of unionized employees in B.C.'s public sector are now covered under negotiate settlements, despite the challenging fiscal climate. These agreements show significant progress is being made under the 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate."

"I encourage employers and unions across the public sector to continue negotiating because agreements can be reached."

Quick Facts:

• The 2012 Cooperative Gains Mandate applies to all public sector employers whose collective agreements expire on or after Dec. 31, 2011.

• About 300,000 unionized workers are employed in the public service, at Crown corporations and agencies, and in the kindergarten - Grade 12, post-secondary, health and community social services sectors.

Learn More:

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

Media Contacts:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Finance
250 356-9872

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 387-4961