Monday, March 29, 2010

British Columbia’s Public Sector Bargaining Mandate 2010

The impact of the global financial situation on the Government’s finances means that there will be no money for compensation increases in the 2010 round of collective bargaining. Government’s priority is to protect core services. Holding the line on wage increases means there is more funding available for health care, education and other vital services.

The Province established Mandate 2010 to guide public sector employers and employers’ associations in their bargaining. The goal of Mandate 2010 is to achieve voluntarily-negotiated collective agreements in the public sector that will continue to support the Province in delivering public services in a cost-effective and financially prudent manner.

Mandate 2010 directs negotiators to develop bargaining plans that do not call for wage increases, but allow flexibility. Generally speaking, Mandate 2010 provides for:

  1. A two-year term
  2. No net increases in total compensation costs
  3. Compensation trade-offs - savings found through (mutually-agreed) changes in collective agreements may be used to fund compensation increase

Almost all of B.C.’s public sector collective agreements (about 180) that cover more than 200,000 workers will expire between March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2010. This excludes nurses as they already have a renewed contract, as well as the K-12 teachers’ agreement which does not expire until June 2011.

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