CEO Update - December 2022

Bargaining Update

I would like to thank all CSSEA members for engaging in the essential services designation process. For some of you, it was a smooth process and for others, it presented you with challenges and involved negotiating your levels at the Labour Relations Board (LRB) with the assistance of its mediators. While this can be a difficult aspect of provincial bargaining, it is critical and necessary in order to prevent immediate harm to many of our individuals who cannot go without services in the event of job action.

All Orders have now been issued by the LRB to establish the levels that would apply in the event of a strike. Despite that, CSSEA and your employer bargaining committee continue to work hard to avert strike action and reach acceptable tentative agreements for your consideration and ratification. While the Indigenous Services division continues to bargain this month, General Services and Community Living Services is taking a hiatus until the week of January 23, 2023, during which the parties are scheduled to meet again. At this time, the unions have not pursued taking strike votes from their members and the tone at the table remains positive.

Management and Excluded Compensation

While CSSEA has not yet concluded collective bargaining, members may be keenly following the direction of negotiations at other tables and noticing the wage settlement pattern is far more significant than what employers have experienced in recent past rounds of bargaining. CSSEA has long championed higher wages in our sector and has aimed over the last few rounds of bargaining to achieve wage comparability with our colleagues in Health. Also while outside our mandate as an employer association, CSSEA, the Board and the Employer Bargaining Committee have also been active in relaying to government the struggles of salary compression and inversion for management and excluded staff, particularly the impact it has on organizations’ ability to deliver services. I am pleased to share that this government has acknowledged excluded management salary pressures and committed to clarifying its approach and providing a clear funding commitment for management and excluded staff for 2022-23 (and possibly beyond) following the conclusion of collective bargaining in our sector. Government recognizes that a clear and timely response will help the sector maintain stable and quality service delivery and CSSEA will keep the membership apprised of updates as they become available in the New Year.…

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CEO Update - October/November 2022

2022 Board and Panel Members

At this year’s in-person AGM, held in Vancouver, Panel and Board members were confirmed for 2022-24 terms. I congratulate Valerie Janz from Interior Community Services on her new appointment to the General Services panel and as always, thank all returning Panel members for putting their names forward and contributing their expertise and guidance to serve the membership. Your 2022-23 divisional panels are as follows:

Indigenous Services:
Chair: Melanie Hudson – Island Métis Family & Community Services Society
Vice Chair: Adam Calvert – La Societé de les Enfants Michif (Métis Family Services)
Kathleen Bennett – Inter-Nation Family and Community Services Society
Colleen Lucier – Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family & Community Services Society
Bernadette Spence – Vancouver Aboriginal Child & Family Services Society

Community Living Services:

Chair: Tammy Khanna – Independent Living Housing Society of Greater Victoria (2022-24)
Vice Chair: Dawn Hein – Mission Association for Community Living (2021-23)
Fernando Coelho – posAbilities Association of British Columbia (2022-24)
Ryan Cucheron – Venture Training (2021-23)
Dana Gorbahn – Gorbahn Professional Alternative Resources Inc. (2021-23)
Shari Mahar – Community Integration Services Society (2022-24)
Tanya Sather – Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (2021-23)
Anita Sihota – Delta Community Living Society (2022-24)

General Services:
Chair: Judy Valsonis – Touchstone Family Association (2021-23)
Vice Chair: Jaye Russell – Sea to Sky Community Services Society (2021-23)
Tyrell Arnold – Connexus Community Resources (2022-24)
Valerie Janz – Interior Community Services (2022-24)
Ann Kutcher – Westcoast Family Centres Society (2022-24)
Sanjeev Nand – Langley Community Services Society (2021-23)
Rod Santiago – Archway Community Services (2021-23)
Tim Veresh – PLEA Community Services Society of British Columbia (2022-24)…

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CEO Update - July 2022

2022 Bargaining

This round of bargaining has been different from previous rounds as it has required a higher level of patience and endurance from our bargaining committee. Over the last six months, we have worked through a number of employer and union language and interpretive issues as we attempt to modernize the collective agreements. I am cautiously optimistic we will conclude the negotiations without service disruptions but nevertheless, we need the membership to complete their essential services plans as it is a Labour Relations Board requirement that we be ready in the event job action occurs. We have more bargaining dates scheduled in August and September in an effort to continue to make progress at the table. The parties continue to work civilly and respectfully on all topics placed on the table on which we have an ability to influence, within the framework of the most recent provincial financial mandate.

On another matter, CSSEA provided the provincial government with feedback on the challenges members are facing with implementing the new Employment Standards Act minimum sick leave provisions for employees covered by our collective agreements. In particular, we conveyed the payroll challenges and additional administrative resources needed to calculate an “average day’s” pay for sick leave and suggested changes to better align with collective agreement processes. The government considered our feedback but at this time, is not looking to make any changes to the Act.

2022 Compensation and Employee Turnover Report

The 2022 Compensation and Employee Turnover Report is now due. It is critical that CSSEA receives your report, as the information collected arms CSSEA with quantitative data that it can present to government on the macro sectoral issues of funding, collective bargaining and compensation. If you have already completed the report, we thank you for your participation. If you have not yet completed the report, please contact us by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .…

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CEO Update - June 2022

2022 Bargaining

While CSSEA will resume collective bargaining with the Community Social Services Bargaining Association this month, bargaining is set to pause at the end of June and resume again in September, as the sector prepares for essential services planning over the summer months in the event the sector faces job action in the fall. Members are required to review and update their 2012 Essential Services Orders (where they exist), particularly where services are now delivered differently than prior to the pandemic and in order to determine the current required levels of essential services. Members must report back to CSSEA on whether they have essential services and, if applicable, remit the necessary forms. For a comprehensive guide on the essential services process, along with what is required from you, consult this CSSEA Info.

2022 Annual Report – Call for Photos

As CSSEA prepares to publish its 2022 Annual Report, we are once again inviting members to send photos from their agencies to be considered for inclusion. We welcome member photos of staff events, community events in which your agency had a presence, individuals served, or any other image that highlights the work your organization is doing in your community. We ask that anyone featured in your submitted photos consent to their image being published in print and on our website prior to your submission. The deadline for submission is July 22, 2022 and photos can be e-mailed to Doris Sun, Director of Communications, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

2022 Compensation and Employee Turnover Report

The deadline to complete this year’s Compensation and Employee Turnover Report has been extended to June 30, 2022. It is critical that CSSEA receives your report, as the information collected arms CSSEA with quantitative data that it can present to government on the macro sectoral issues of funding, collective bargaining and compensation. Members with any questions on report completion can e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We thank all members for submitting their final reports by the revised due date of June 30, 2022.…

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CEO Update - May 2022

Community Social Services Health and Safety Association of BC

The Community Social Services Health and Safety Association of BC (Association) held its inaugural Annual General Meeting on May 4^th, 2022, and affirmed its first slate of Board Members. They comprise union and non-union employers, workers and industry members, and together, will work to steer the Association through its critical early years. We congratulate:

• Janice Barr - Community Living Society
• Tanya Behardien - OneSky Community Resources
• Brian Campbell - B.C. General Employees Union
• J. Gordon Cote – Nanaimo & Area Resource Services for Families Programs Ltd.
• Christine Fewtrell - Hulitan Family & Community Services Society
• Chantel Foden - Spectrum Society for Community Living
• Nina Hansen - Health Sciences Association BC
• Diane Hong - SUCCESS (The United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society)
• Tammy Khanna - Independent Living Housing Society
• Christina Lloyd-Jones - Hospital Employees Union
• Jonny Morris - Canadian Mental Health Association – BC Division
• Pamela Pye - B.C. General Employees Union
• Michael Reed - Canadian Union of Public Employees
• Denise Subotin - WorkSafeBC
• Judy Valsonis - Touchstone Family Association

I will continue to serve as Interim Board Chair while the Association recruits and confirms a permanent Chair.
The creation of this first-of-its-kind safety association covering 2,200 unionized and non-unionized employers is a monumental accomplishment and one that the community social services sector should be immensely proud of. I thank Association Director Satvinder Basran for his tactical leadership and also, our many sectoral partners whose collective vision turned a concept into reality: Rick FitzZaland – The Federation of Social Services of BC, Selena Kongpreecha – Community Social Services Bargaining Association, and Denise Subotin – WorkSafeBC.…

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CEO Update - April 2022

Awards of Excellence – Final Days to Nominate

Members are reminded that there is now just over one week remaining to nominate an individual for this year’s Community Social Services Awards of Excellence. The awards will be held in person for the first time in two years, and would be a wonderful venue to acknowledge the hard work of individuals working in BC’s publicly funded community social services sector. Nominations are being accepted online until 5pm on April 22 and the awards will be presented in Vancouver at the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel on October 24. For more details on nominee categories, previous recipients, nomination questions and more, go to our awards website. If you have further questions, please contact Doris Sun, Director of Communications, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We wish all nominees the best of luck.

2022 Bargaining

On March 31 the General Services, Community Living Services and Indigenous Services collective agreements expired and in the interim, the terms of the 2019-2022 agreements remain in effect until new agreements are successfully negotiated. On April 7, after 34 days of interest-based bargaining, CSSEA tabled a three-year comprehensive monetary proposal. The goals are to ensure stability in the sector and a continued prioritization of recruitment and retention, with application of low wage redress to eliminate the wage gap with health. We don’t expect a response from the union bargaining association until we meet again on May 16. Negotiations in our sector are further complicated because another public sector table negotiation has also reached an impasse, with both sides significantly apart on wages. All indications suggest this round of bargaining will likely take longer than previous rounds.

Community Social Services Health and Safety Association of BC – Notification of AGM

Members are informed that the Community Social Services Health & Safety Association of BC (the Association) will be holding its inaugural Annual General Meeting on May 4 from 5pm to 7pm. You are invited to attend the virtual session, which will be broadcast from Vancouver. Registration for the event can be made at this link.…

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CEO Update - March 2022

Community Social Services Awareness Month

March is now recognized province-wide as Community Social Services Awareness month. As we emerge from what has likely been two of the most challenging years of our professional careers, I’d like to applaud all employers for their resilience and adaptability, as well as staff for their bravery and commitment in continuing to serve vulnerable British Columbians in the midst of a global pandemic. As we slowly move to increase in-person interactions, I hope you will consider submitting a nomination for this year’s Community Social Services Awards of Excellence to recognize outstanding individuals working in the sector.

Community Social Services Awards of Excellence

After a two-year pause in large gatherings, CSSEA is excited to once again present the Awards of Excellence, sponsored by TELUS, as an in-person event. Many of you have no doubt worked alongside some extraordinary individuals over the past year and there is no better way to honour their efforts than by filling out a nomination. CSSEA will be accepting nominations until 5pm on April 22 and full details, including the online nomination form, can be found on our awards website. Pending any changes to the current health situation, we look forward to celebrating with you in person on October 26 at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, as part of CSSEA’s 2022 AGM and Conference.

2022 Bargaining

CSSEA and its employer bargaining team continues to be actively engaged in collective bargaining with the Community Social Services Bargaining Association in an interest-based bargaining approach. We will keep members apprised of key developments through our Bargaining Updates as they arise. This is a very difficult bargaining year due in part to heightened union expectations, as well as inflation rates not seen in 30 years; as a result, we anticipate a longer bargaining process than the previous round. Our employer bargaining team is doing excellent work and ensures that member issues such as recruitment and retention and healthy, safe workplaces are foremost at the table.…

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CEO Update - January/February 2022

COVID-19

As 2022 continues to see health professionals and governments grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, CSSEA is still actively monitoring developments as they relate to employer responsibilities in the social services sector. At our most recent Board Meeting in December, CSSEA’s Board encouraged the sector to follow Provincial Health Officer (PHO) guidelines and obtain vaccinations, including booster shots.

In addition, employers are reminded that as of January 7, 2022, the PHO has reinstated site-specific, prescriptive COVID-19 safety plans, replacing the general Communicable Disease Prevention plans that were in place prior to that. COVID-19 Safety Plans are formal, written plans that include details such as occupancy limits, physical distancing and barriers. Employers are encouraged to revisit their COVID-19 Safety Plans with input from employees to ensure they remain effective at reducing exposure. For more information and resources, consult this CSSEA Info. A copy of a more recent PHO order on workplace safety can be found here.

2022 Bargaining

CSSEA and the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) have agreed to commence bargaining on February 2 to amend the sector’s three collective agreements. We will notify the membership of developments through periodic Bargaining Updates that will be e-mailed to your agency’s bargaining contact. In preparation, CSSEA will be sending an email to the bargaining contact on file to confirm that e-mail is still current. We ask that you look out for that communication in the coming weeks and take a moment to respond so CSSEA can be in contact throughout the bargaining and ratification process.…

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CEO Update - October/November 2021

2022 Board and Panel Members

This year, we once again held our three divisional sessions in advance of the AGM General Session. I am pleased to report the following members have been selected to join and chair the Board and Panels (please note the asterisk indicates the member is also on CSSEA’s Board):

Indigenous Services:
Chair: Melanie Hudson – Island Métis Family & Community Services Society
Vice Chair: Adam Calvert* - La Societé de les Enfants Michif (Métis Family Services)

Community Living Services:
Chair: Tammy Khanna – Independent Living Housing Society of Greater Victoria
Vice Chair: Dawn Hein – Mission Association for Community Living
Ryan Cucheron* - Venture Training
Dana Gorbahn – Gorbahn Professional Alternative Resources Inc.
Tanya Sather – Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion…

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CEO Update - July/August 2021

2021 AGM and Conference

CSSEA invites all members to attend this year’s AGM and Conference, Resilience Builds Strength. While the conference will once again take place virtually, we are confident the event will be engaging and yield important learnings. Members attending this year’s General AGM session on October 19 are encouraged to discuss issues of importance in the sector with their divisional panel members and may submit resolutions. CSSEA will be accepting resolutions from individual members until September 15 and asks that they be sent via e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To register and learn more about this year’s lineup of sessions, please visit our conference website. In our current virtual world the conference is modestly priced to encourage participation. In addition, we are offering a discounted early bird conference rate of $79 that will be effective until September 24.

Consider Joining CSSEA’s Panels

This year’s Divisional Sessions will once again be taking place one week prior to the AGM General Session, on October 12, for logistical reasons. If you registered for the General Session, you will automatically be registered and receive a participation link for your respective Divisional Session in early October. The divisional sessions will handle divisional business, including the selection of new panel members and, if required, discussion of resolutions and holding of elections. I encourage those who have never served and are interested in being involved with CSSEA’s governance to consider putting their names forward for a potential position. To learn more about the roles and responsibilities of panel members, as well as how to run, consult the AGM page on our conference website.

Permanent Paid Sick Leave Survey

In preparation for upcoming paid sick leave legislation that is slated to come into effect January 1, 2022, government will be consulting with employers about their views on permanent employee paid sick leave. The PSEC Secretariat will provide further details when they are available, but in the meantime, employers are encouraged to fill out this survey to assist in developing options for the consultation process. The survey is intended to help government understand how many workers have paid sick leave, what types of paid sick leave is offered, and how the new legislated paid sick leave will affect employers.…

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