Application of Temporary Market Adjustments and Classification Changes

Temporary Market Adjustments (TMAs)

Under the recent Indigenous Services collective agreement settlement, there are two “Temporary Market Adjustments” (TMAs) for social workers who are classified as Social Program Officer (SPO) 24 and who work in Child Protection Services positions. In the public service negotiations in 2018, the Government and Union identified these positions as being subject to significant recruitment and retention challenges. As a result, child protection social workers will receive two TMAs in an effort to address this challenge.

The Delegated Aboriginal Agencies (DAAs) wage schedules are tied to the public service wage schedules, and as a result, social workers employed by both the Ministry and the DAAs are to receive the same increases, as follows:

• Effective April 1, 2019 – C6 Delegated Child Protection social workers classified at Grid 24 working in CP positions will receive a TMA of one grid to grid 25; and
• Effective April 1, 2021 – C6 Delegated Child Protection social workers classified at Grid 25 working in CP positions will receive an additional one grid TMA to Grid 26.

This would normally be available only to Social Workers so classified. However, some DAAs also employ C6 delegated social workers who work in positions that routinely perform C3 and C4 delegated work and are not considered to be working exclusively in Child Protection positions. When these social workers perform C6 CP duties, the DAAs should request that they track their time as best as possible, so that they may be paid the TMA that is payable to the CP delegated social workers. If the C6 delegated social worker is working an "integrated job" where it is administratively impractical to track the various types of delegated work, the C6 delegated social worker would be paid at the highest classification rate for all hours worked, which includes the TMA for Child Protection work.
Further, there may be times when social workers relieve for others who are employed in CP delegated positions, for example, when the CP social worker is on vacation or sick leave. At these times, DAAs would also pay the TMA for the duration of the relief period.

Classification Changes

There are other classification changes in the 18th Public Service Agreement that will also apply to the Indigenous Services Collective Agreement, since the Delegated wage rates mirror the public service wage rates. The following classifications will be affected:

1. Delegated Supervisor: Effective October 15, 2017, MCFD and BCGEU have jointly agreed to no longer differentiate classifications of Social Program Officer (SPO) 28 and SPO 30 based on the number of subordinate professionals they supervise. As a result, all employees who are currently classified as SPO 28 will be placed in the SPO 30 classification. This affects the Delegated Supervisor classification in the Delegated wage schedule.
2. Growth Series within the Aboriginal Delegated Social Worker Progression (ADSWP): Effective April 1, 2021, the Growth Plan to the Social Program Officer Full Working Level is confirmed as follows:

• Level 1 increases by one grid from Grid 19, Step 1 to Grid 20, Step 1;
• Level 2 increases by one grid from Grid 20, Step 1 to Grid 21, Step 1;
• Level 3 increases by one grid from Grid 21, Step 1 to Grid 22, Step 1;
• Level 4 increases by one grid from Grid 22, Step 1 to Grid 23, Step 1;
• Full Working Level SPO R24 begins at Grid 24, Step 1 (no change).

3. Program Assistant – Grid 7

Effective April 1, 2020, the Public Service Job Evaluation Plan will be amended such that the grid level 9 point range will be increased to incorporate the grid level 7 point range. As a result, Grid 7 positions will become Grid 9. This affects the Program Assistant classification in the Delegated wage schedule.

4. Administrative Supervisor – Grid 14

Effective April 1, 2021, the Public Service Job Evaluation Plan will be amended such that the point range currently assigned to grid 14 will be assigned to grid 15 instead. As a result, Grid 14 positions will become Grid 15. This affects the Administrative Supervisor classification in the Delegated wage schedule.

Enclosure

The updated 2019-2022 Wage Grids for Delegated Programs, which incorporates all of the Temporary Market Adjustments and classifications changes outlined above, is enclosed. Please note that the April 2020 and April 2021 wage rates are estimates and must be finalized closer to these dates by the Public Service Agency. The wage schedules may be reissued closer to the effective dates.