The B.C. Government Employees Union has reached a five-year agreement with its 51,000 members in government, community health and social services.
Their five-year agreement will provide wage increases in four of the five years, added job protection language and additional wage increases “in years when the provincial GDP growth exceeds projections.”
Under this proposal, employees would receive a conditional, incremental wage increase equal to half of any percentage point gain in real GDP growth above the Economic Forecast Council’s forecast published in the Budget.
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For example, if real GDP growth is one percentage point above forecast real GDP growth, then a 0.5 per cent wage increase would result, beyond whatever wage increase had been negotiated in the contract.
A worker earning $50,000 a year would earn an additional $250 per year if the economy outperforms the expectations of the forecast council by one per cent.
“These tentative agreements are a big step in the right direction. For the provincial government, they mean stability as we maintain our commitment to balancing the budget throughout our mandate. But for more than 50,000 hardworking men and women in B.C.’s public sector, these agreements would have a much more immediate and personal impact – long-term labour peace, and a chance to share the benefits of a growing economy,” said Premier Christy Clark in a statement.
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