Delay in Ratification Vote

CSSEA is delaying the opening of the scheduled ratification vote by one week in order to allow the Employer Bargaining Committee to obtain confirmation of the funding methodology and mechanism of the various funders. The vote will now take place from 7:00am Tuesday, March 21 to 5:00pm Monday, March 27.

If you have any questions, please contact Gentil Mateus, CEO, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .…

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Upcoming Ratification Vote

Please be reminded that the ratification vote for all three CSSEA tentative collective agreements will begin next week, from 7:00 am Tuesday, March 14 to 5:00 pm Monday, March 20. As the primary bargaining contact on file, you will be receiving the voting e-mail with a unique and confidential link to a webpage where the vote is to be cast.

The voting will be conducted in accordance with Article 13.05 of CSSEA’s Constitution and Bylaws, which stipulates that each agency’s vote is weighted based on its total number of bargaining unit FTEs. Each tentative agreement will be ratified if more than 50 per cent of the votes cast in each division are in favour.

If you have not yet reviewed the proposed amendments to the three collective agreements, we strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with them through this Summary of Changes document. CSSEA will also be holding its final ratification information meeting virtually on Monday, March 13 and encourage any Executive Directors and management/excluded staff still wishing to attend to register before 1pm tomorrow, Friday, March 10.…

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Ratification Information Meetings and Voting Procedure

As you are aware, CSSEA reached tentative collective agreements with the Community Social Services Bargaining Association for all three membership divisions on February 3, 2023. Members must still ratify the tentative agreements. In preparation for a ratification vote, CSSEA has prepared a detailed report of the proposed amendments to the three collective agreements, the Summary of Changes, as well as holding a number of in-person meetings and one virtual meeting, in order to outline the proposed changes. 

The ratification meetings are intended for Executive Directors and management/excluded staff only. We ask that you register for one or more of the following meetings at this link. Please bring with you the Summary of Changes for reference.

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Tentative Agreements Reached in Community Social Services Sector

CSSEA is pleased to announce that our Employer Bargaining Committee and the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) have reached tentative agreements for all three of its membership divisions, the culmination of one year of dedicated negotiations and an intensive series of meetings over the past two weeks.

The tentative agreements were made under the Shared Recovery Mandate, which advances government’s key priorities to improve public services and the health-care system, while supporting the province’s continued economic recovery for all.  The tentative agreements also support Employers’ and Unions’ shared key priorities to improve upon recruitment and retention, enhance mental health benefits, and advance Reconciliation with our Indigenous employees and peoples.

The tentative agreements are effective from April 2022 to March 2025 and include the following highlights:…

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Collective Bargaining Update

CSSEA and the Unions of the Bargaining Association (CSSBA) continued collective bargaining under the Province's Shared Recovery Mandate last week and on Monday of this week in an effort to reach a fair agreement that addresses many of the sector's challenges.

While progress continued to be made between the parties on a number of proposals and outstanding issues are being narrowed, there remain some sticking points — most notably in relation to wages and paid leave provisions. The Unions continue to seek significant improvements to paid leaves, including sick leave, in all of the CSSEA Collective Agreements, as well as for additional paid special leave under the Indigenous Services Collective Agreement.

CSSEA has tabled a number of comprehensive settlement proposals in response, but the parties remain apart on a number of issues. Over the last three rounds of negotiations, CSSEA’s Bargaining Committees have been primarily  focused  on improving the ability to continue to deliver services to clients and as such, views comparability in wages with the health sector — particularly at this time of rising inflation —as this sector’s highest recruitment and retention priority. To date, our proposals have prioritized allocating as much available funding toward achieving that goal and reducing agencies’ exposure to possibly not fully-funded leave provisions and other higher benefit costs.…

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Final Opportunity to Register for 2022 AGM and Conference

CSSEA’s 2022 AGM and Conference, Together & Forward, will be taking place in just one week, at the Marriott Vancouver Pinnacle Hotel from October 25-27. The event is nearly sold out and if you have not yet registered, please do so before the registration cut-off at noon on Friday, October 21^st.  Registration and program details can be found on our conference website.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Doris Sun, Director of Communications, at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We look forward to connecting with you in person next week!…

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2022 Annual Report Now Available

CSSEA’s 2022 Annual Report, containing excerpted highlights from our approved audited financial statements, is now available here.

If you have any questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Director of Communications.…

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BC to Support Federal Holiday to Mark Queen's Funeral

The provincial government has confirmed it will support the federal government’s announcement today that it is recognizing September 19, 2022 as a national holiday for federal government employees to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth on the day of her funeral. As such, the provincial government has advised all provincial public sector employers that they should recognize September 19 as a holiday for all employees who are normally entitled to provincial and federal holidays, on a “without prejudice” basis.

The BC Government recognizes that there is little advance notice of this holiday, yet strongly encourages employers to reduce or close services where it can on September 19, and provide staff with a day off with no loss of pay. Where this is not possible, staff who are on duty would be paid that statutory holiday rate of pay for hours worked and receive another day off with pay.

Employees who are not scheduled to work on September 19 would not receive any other days off with pay for this holiday. CSSEA has reminded the government that there will be an increase in costs for employers to recognize this day. Employers are encouraged to continue to discuss and resolve these financial pressures with their funders.…

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Upcoming Panel Vacancies in Community Living Services Division

Members of the Community Living Services (CLS) division are invited to consider running for one of two upcoming panel vacancies at this year’s CSSEA Annual General Meeting. Members who hold senior roles, preferably ED or CEO, and have an interest in representing their divisional needs while also shaping the strategic direction of CSSEA, are strongly encouraged to put their names forward. Panel members will be selected at the upcoming AGM, taking place on October 25 in Vancouver at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. Elections will be held (if required) to select a total of four members for two-year terms; two current panel members whose terms are expiring have indicated their desires to re-run.

The Role of the Panels

The general mandate of the panels is outlined in Bylaw 9.06 and can be found in CSSEA's Constitution and Bylaws. The main role of panel members include the following:

1. Select divisional representatives to serve on the board of directors
2. Participate in the development of CSSEA’s strategic plan
3. Support the strategic direction of CSSEA
4. Provide direction to CSSEA on all member initiatives and serve as a reference group, as required
5. Assist with conference and AGM planning
6. Serve as divisional leaders within their membership division
7. Communicate with their divisional members
8. Bring forward member issues to the board
9. Represent and communicate the substance and intent of CSSEA’s initiatives, policies and decisions in other social services members’ forums
10. Enhance CSSEA’s public image
11. Assist with the BC Community Social Services Awards of Excellence planning…

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Announcing 2022 Community Social Services Awards of Excellence Recipients

CSSEA is pleased to announce this year’s Community Social Services Awards of Excellence recipients. Now in their seventh year, the awards, sponsored by TELUS, continues to recognize individuals with varying lengths of service who have made outstanding contributions to the social services sector. On behalf of a member panel who reviewed and shortlisted all nominations, as well as an external judging committee who evaluated and ultimately narrowed down the shortlisted nominations to a single winner in each category, we congratulate the following recipients:

Rising Star - Angela Vermeer

Outreach Support Worker at Chilliwack Society for Community Living Community Living Services (CSCL) Community Living Services

When Angela began her practicum at Chilliwack Society for Community Living after completing the Community Support Worker program, her intention was to work with children. Soon after she arrived, though, she realized her passion was in outreach. As a single parent who experienced poverty and homelessness, Angela connected with and became a strong advocate for those who were in similar situations. She shows unwavering dedication to those she supports, often adjusting her own schedule and coming in on days off to ensure their needs are met. She has gone into homeless camps, shelters, and precarious locations to help vulnerable individuals in need of a listening ear and non-judgemental support. Perhaps Angela’s greatest strength is her passion for supporting women with disabilities who are new parents. Angela actively works with new or expectant mothers to acquire the skills to parent safely and effectively. She is knowledgeable about infant development and has been involved with developing a parenting program specifically for mothers with developmental disabilities. In her four years at CSCL, Angela has cemented her position as a much-loved colleague who co-workers regularly turn to for advice and direction.

Hero - Neil Cutler

Community Support Worker at Nanaimo Supportive Lifestyles Ltd. Community Living Services

Hired straight out of University as a Community Support Worker in 2005, Neil has been making his mark at Nanaimo Supportive Lifestyles Ltd. for 17 years. Far from someone who clocks in and out of work, Neil has proactively and enthusiastically spearheaded a number of agency initiatives for the benefit of those he supports. He founded Nanaimo Community Dances in 2006 on his own time to provide individuals with diverse abilities large dance events several times a year. This endeavour included recruiting volunteers, purchasing equipment (which he did with his own money), finding space and honing his craft as a DJ, all which proved worthwhile given its huge community success. Neil reimagined the format of the dances when the pandemic hit, quickly turning them into virtual events that attracted participants from all over North America. The dance initiative, however, is not Neil’s only achievement. He also took yoga teacher training and specialized in trauma-sensitive yoga, which is a wildly successful service that he now leads. Neil also manages a weekly Board Game Group, where the focus is on in-person interactions without the distractions of digital devices. By championing these activities, Neil has proven to be an uplifting force in the lives of those he serves and has brought joy to countless individuals.…

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