Professionals Making A Difference
If your address has changed, please notify us.
HSP members are encouraged to read their second bargaining bulletin.
We profile three outstanding members and follow up with bargaining activities and the BC budget:
The Professional - March 2010 (1.1 MB)This also opens the newsletter contest for the March edition.
This month, we've decided to focus on three members who have had exciting accomplishments since the start of 2010:
Three members are in this month's edition of BC Forest Professional. Anthony Britneff has penned a letter, and Curtis Nixon and Michael Pelchat were both elected as councillors at large in the 63rd ABCFP council:
| Member | Story |
|---|---|
| Curt Nixon & Michael Pelchat | Association News |
| Anthony Britneff (author) | Letters |
The Coalition for Public Legal Services (CPLS) is an organization dedicated to restoring legal aid in British Columbia. The Legal Services Society of BC has undergone two massive waves of cuts in the last year alone, including the elimination of 30 PEA positions.
CPLS consists of 18 member organizations across the province, including the Professional Employees Association, advocating for public legal services. The Coalition has embarked on a campaign to gain support from stakeholders internal and external to BC’s justice system, including various municipalities.
Over the last several weeks, CPLS members have brought issues surrounding access to justice to the attention of council members in Nanaimo, Vancouver, and Kamloops. The next city to have a similar motion presented to council is Victoria.
We invite all PEA members in the CRD to come to the Victoria City Council meeting when the motion is presented on Thursday, March 11, 2010, at 7:30PM to show your support for your fellow PEA members working for the Legal Services Society of BC. We also extend this invitation to any supporters of BC’s legal aid system. This meeting takes place at Victoria City Hall (1 Centennial Square, Victoria BC).
Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
Victoria, March 3, 2010 – Yesterday’s budget announcement failed to make the necessary investments in public services that are key to economic development and innovation in BC.
Despite predictions that B.C.’s economic recovery will be led by mining and other resource industries, Finance Minister Colin Hansen reported cuts of $320 million to programs and staffing in B.C.’s key resource ministries: Forests and Range; Agriculture and Lands; Community and Rural Development; Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources; and Transportation and Infrastructure.
“Hansen told us in his budget speech that mining, forestry, and oil and gas are all essential to the health of our economy” says Jodi Jensen, Executive Director of the Professional Employees Association, “yet we see cuts in the public services supporting and regulating those industries.”
The Ministry of Forests and Range will be particularly hard-hit and forced to cut programs such as research, stewardship and compliance and enforcement, which are key to the industry’s recovery and to effective management of public resources. The ministry’s projected staffing reductions come on the heels of two rounds of layoffs announced in September and January.
Yesterday’s budget targets the elimination of a further 4,000 positions from the public service by 2012/2013. “We don’t expect the government can achieve these targets through employee retirements and attrition alone,” says Jensen. “Further layoffs now are short-sighted when government knows its ability to deliver services to British Columbians in the future depends on its success as a competitive employer, on its ability to recruit and retain skilled professionals.”
The Professional Employees Association is an independent union representing 1,400 licensed professionals in B.C’s public service, including Mines Inspectors, Forest Research Scientists, Bridge Engineers, Wildlife Veterinarians, and Petroleum Geologists.
- 30 -
For more information, please contact:
Kyle Russell
Communications Officer
Professional Employees Association
250.385.8791
Click here for a PDF of this release
This package was distributed to members through Local Representatives around 1PM today. We encourage members to read the 16 page document which outlines the terms of the tentative agreement the PEA reached on behalf of GLP members:
CHSS members are asked to read their third bargaining bulletin, announcing the ratification of the CBA Collective Agreement:
Victoria, March 2, 2010 – The Professional Employees Association has reached a tentative agreement with the Province of British Columbia.
The deal extends the current collective agreement between the Professional Employees Association and the Province for two years, to March 31st, 2012, and provides renewed employment security provisions.
“We achieved the employment security that was a key priority for government licensed professionals,” says Jodi Jensen, Executive Director and chief negotiator for the Professional Employees Association. “With the budget being released today, this agreement provides our members with a level of certainty in uncertain times.”
Negotiations have taken place amidst government layoffs of professionals in the Ministry of Forests and Range. The most recent staffing reductions were announced by the Province in January.
The agreement covers 1,400 licensed professionals working for various ministries, including professional engineers, foresters, licensed psychologists, pharmacists, and veterinarians.
The Professional Employees Association is an independent union representing professionals employed by a variety of employers in British Columbia.
- 30 -
For more information, please contact:
Kyle Russell
Communications Officer
Professional Employees Association
250.385.8791
Click here for a PDF of this release
March 2, 2010It's 12PM, and Laura Kuypers is helping her clients get out and enjoy the spring weather!
As a Community Physiotherapist for the Interior Health Authority, Laura helps her clients get back to enjoying a healthy, active lifestyle.
Click here to find out more about her exciting story and contributions to BC.
GLP members are encouraged to read this brief bulletin announcing that the Parties reached a tentative agreement on Friday evening:
SMS members are asked to read the first bargaining bulletin for the 2010 negotiations. This, and all bargaining documents, was circulated via email and post today but can also be accessed on our password protected site:
Coalition for Public Legal Services member and family lawyer Brenda Muliner brought forward a motion to the Kamloops City council which was unanimously passed on Tuesday to urge the provincial government to restore legal aid funding:
The PEA Education Conference is an opportunity for members from all chapters to get together and participate in workshops and speaker sessions. This year’s sessions include subjects like membership engagement, developing leadership, collective bargaining, using new media and technologies, and an Association Executive roundtable/q&a session.
This year’s conference will be held at the Westin Bayshore in Downtown Vancouver, May 14-15. In addition to the education components, members have the opportunity to participate in a social activity and a catered dinner Friday evening.
Registration will open this year’s Education Conference program at 1:00PM on Friday, May 14th, and the events will conclude on Saturday, May 15th, at 3:30PM.
Click here to express interest in attending this year's conference.
(click to view PDF of this poster)
Congratulations to Stefan Scott who has won the 2009 Gilian Sherwin Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Victoria! Click below to read the full story:
LSL members can refer to the updated collective agreement, valid until December 31, 2010:
GLP members are encouraged to read the latest update from their bargaining committee:
The 2010 Education Conference will be held at the Westin Bayshore in Downtown Vancouver on May 14 & 15. Click here to learn more and express interest in attending.
If you would like to attend, you must fill out our form on the Conference page by March 5, 2010.
(click to view PDF of this poster)
Members requesting grants & donations from the GLP Chapter can now use this savable PDF form:
The first UVic Bargaining Bulletin was sent through the mail this afternoon. To view the document, click below:
Scrutineers have reported that all the proposed amendments sent to a chapter vote were approved. Members were able to mail in completed ballots before 4:30PM on February 11, 2010, and ballots were counted on Friday afternoon in Victoria.
For more information, please contact Scott McCannell in the Victoria office.
Last night, Coalition for Public Legal Services (CPLS) member and former LSS worker Diane Brennan presented to Nanaimo City Council regarding legal aid cuts. Council unanimously supported the motion and will write letters to the province asking them to improve funding for legal aid in BC. A video of the presentation can be found online at http://bit.ly/dweTbR
CPLS member Brenda Muliner will present to Kamloops City Council next week, Feb. 16th.
The PEA is a founding member of CPLS.
The PEA has an exciting opportunity for a Labour Relations Officer in Victoria.
Click the image below to find out more.
Click here for a full job description.
The Kelowna Capital News posted a news story this weekend detailing the cuts and impacts legal aid changes will have on BC's interior:
Leah Stone is featured in this month's edition of The Ring:
Councillor Ellen Woodsworth brought forward a motion in support of legal aid in BC that was approved at this week's meeting.
To view the entire motion being presented and discussed at Vancouver City Council on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, click on http://cityofvan-as1.insinc.com/ibc/mp/md/open/c/317/1198/201002021345wv150en,013 (note, you will need Windows Media Player to view the file).
HSP members are encouraged to complete the Chapter Bargaining survey (found online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/hsp2010bargaining). The survey is due by Tuesday, February 9, 2010. If you would prefer to fill out the survey by mail, please call Rhiannon Bray in our Victoria office toll-free at 800.779.7736.
Notice of the survey was reiterated in the bargaining bulletin that was sent by mail in late January:
It's 11AM, and Hamid Mohmand is busy ensuring Vancouver's busy bridges are safe for Olympic visitors.
As a District Transportation Engineer for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Hamid manages the traffic flow of the Lower Mainland region
Click here to find out more about his exciting story and contributions to BC.
This spring, the Professional Employees Association is excited to introduce Giving Back 2010.
New PEA policy amendments allow the Grants & Donations Committee to ask for feedback from members on the distribution of funds allocated for grants and donations. Giving Back 2010 allows members to nominate and vote for organizations or individuals to receive said funds.
From February 1st-March 15th, any active member in good standing may nominate an organization or individual, other than a labour organization, to receive funds from the PEA. Once nominations close, the Grants & Donations Committee will compile a short-list of nominees to include in an Association-wide online election.
Voting opens on April 1st and remains open for one month. All active members in good standing will have the opportunity to vote for short-listed candidates. Grants and donations recipients will be announced at the Education Conference this May in Vancouver and online.
The full details of this initiative are available online at http://www.pea.org/givingback.
We're excited to receive your nominations this spring!
Rhiannon’s keen interest in organized labour made her a welcomed addition to the PEA in 2009. In addition to a Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution, her experience with Labour Relations includes work on a Global Human Resources project for SANYO Electric in Japan and, more recently, exploring the exclusion of pharmacological pregnancy prevention from extended health care benefits in a unionized environment. Rhiannon has remained an active member within the locals she has belonged to previously and believes that more young workers need to become involved within their Unions to protect workers’ right and to keep the labour movement strong. Over the last year, Rhiannon has gained a wealth of experience in PEA Labour Relations as an Administrative Assistant in our Victoria office and is eager to continue her career with the organization as our newest Labour Relations Officer. In her spare time, Rhiannon enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
Congratulations to Colleen McKendry of the Ministry of Forests and Range who won the December newsletter contest! Colleen was drawn among 52 correct entries and won a $50 gift certificate to amazon.ca.
Read the next edition of The Professional and enter for your chance to win another $50 to Amazon this March.
Also, don't forget about our social media contest. By following us on Twitter or Facebook, you can win an 8GB iPod Touch.
We are so proud of our long-time member Doug Flynn, a Mines Inspector from Smithers, who received the very prestigious David Barr award from the Association for Mineral Exploration. The award was presented at the AMEBC health and safety awards breakfast at Mineral Exploration Roundup 2010. We'd like to send our personal congratulations to Doug as the recipient of such an honour! You can read the full release from the Province online:
Photo of Doug Flynn being congratulated by Gordon Campbell and Jean Chretien from the Government of British Columbia's website.
Manfred Bultman, the Manager of the Engineering and Computer Science/Math Co-operative Education Program and Career Services office talks to Canada Views about an their career fair on campus next week:
Scott comes to the PEA with a broad background in both labour relations and human resources. Scott says his passion for labour relations started as a local union activist and elected representative with the Energy & Chemical Workers Union (now CEP) and continued while he completed his B.Comm degree. Scott has continued to expand his knowledge and experience working in labour relations capacities in forestry, IT, and government and feels strongly about contributing towards the establishment of fair and engaging workplaces. He feels the PEA is a progressive, strategic, member-focused organization, that it is an appealing choice for BC’s licensed professionals. Scott’s free time is spent with family and being active in the outdoors.
Scott takes care of the servicing duties for St. Margaret's School and the University of Victoria. He is the newest addition to the Victoria office.
On January 26, 2010, scrutineers reported that members of the Community Health Services & Support (CHSS) Chapter of the Professional Employees Association (PEA) had voted in favour of a tentative agreement reached by the Community Bargaining Association (CBA).
In the subject vote, 207 ballots were distributed on January 6, 2010. Of 53 returned ballots, 28 members (53%) voted to accept the tentative agreement.
The tentative agreement will not become ratified until all unions participating in the CBA have reported their voting results. We will keep CHSS members up-to-date with any news as it becomes available.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this round of bargaining, please contact Labour Relations Officer Frank Greenlay in the Lower Mainland office at 604.581.6662 or by email at fgreenlay@pea.org.
The ninth GLP bargaining bulletin was circulated this morning. This bulletin describes this week's collective bargaining activities with representatives of the Province and all GLP members are encouraged to read the document:
HSP members are asked to view the following bargaining bulletin through password protection. This bulletin was also sent through the mail today:
Today’s announcement of further layoffs in the public service will have a direct impact on PEA members employed by the Ministry of Forests and Range.
PEA members have taken a disproportionate hit in the Ministry of Forests and Range, numbering 16 of the 45 employees who were notified Wednesday that their jobs are being eliminated. More than half of those professionals work in Victoria, and many are in Research.
PEA representatives will be working over the coming weeks to assist affected members through the placement process, in conjunction with the ministry and the Public Service Agency.
In addition to the workforce adjustment notices, a number of PEA members were notified today that their positions or offices were being relocated to another geographic location. We are working to gather accurate information on the number of PEA members impacted by relocations.
Any member who has received a notice of redundancy or relocation is encouraged to contact the PEA for more information or advice about your options. Please contact Labour Relations Officer Frank Greenlay or Executive Director Jodi Jensen.Contact Information:
Frank Greenlay, Labour Relations Officer
Phone: 604.581.6662
Toll Free: 800.323.0488
Email: fgreenlay@pea.org
Jodi Jensen, Executive Director
Phone: 250.385.8791
Toll Free: 800.779.7736
Email:jjensen@pea.org
GLP members are asked to refer to the following two MOAs in regards to the reduced work week program:
GLP members are encouraged to read their eighth bargaining bulletin, explaining how the PEA and BC Public Service Agency will engage in collective bargaining this week:
Your bargaining committee is preparing for bargaining, and as a first step in this, we are asking that you complete a bargaining survey. The survey is designed to give you an opportunity to identify desired collective agreement changes and improvements. Please take a look at your collective agreement, and consider what could be changed to make your working life better – whether that be benefit improvements; increased special or vacation leave; improved job security; a wage increase, or anything else.
The information you provide by responding to the survey serves two purposes: it informs us of your views on what is important and what is not, and it provides a basis for the union to defend PEA positions at the bargaining table. Please be as specific as you can about what changes you want – i.e. specify the amount of wage increase you want; specify how you want a particular collective agreement provision changed. Also, if you can, take the time to let us know why and present examples where you can.
This year we are conducting the FMEP Bargaining Survey on-line. You may access and complete the FMEP Bargaining Survey by going to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FMEPBargainingSurvey2010.
Please complete your survey by Jan 15th at 4 pm. The Committee will be meeting on January 21 to analyze the results and prepare bargaining proposals. The proposals will be circulated to you for comment.
During bargaining your Committee may come back for further direction.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact your Labour Relations Officer Barinder Rasode in the Surrey office.
GLP members are asked to refer to the following two MOAs in regards to temporary reassignments with the Olympic Games Secretariat and Secondment to VANOC:
Three GLP members have penned articles in the latest edition of BC Forest Professional:
If you or any of your fellow PEA members are featured in a news story, please email webmaster@pea.org.
More news coverage arose yesterday reporting on the legal aid crisis in BC. The Canadian Bar Association has also called for a full review of legal aid in BC:
If you spot any news coverage in your local media pertaining to this, or any other PEA-related topic, please email webmaster@pea.org.
We will keep you up-to-date on news coverage pertaining to the Kamloops bar's decision to withdraw duty counsel services. Yesterday, Kevin Love of the Community Legal Assistance Society appeared on the AM1150 noon-hour news show to discuss the cuts, and today the Canadian Press is covering the story:
