United union front needed in upcoming bargaining

Revealing statistics on public sector executive's salaries, published in the Vancouver Sun on December 6, shows how skewed the Campbell government's economic priorities have become, and underscores our bargaining challenges for 2009 and 2010.

The survey shows that top executives at many government departments and public sector agencies earn well over $300,000 per year, with many in the $500,000 range. Deputy ministers earn over $200,000, while the heads of health authorities pull in more than $300,000.

These huge salaries contrast with the average pay of a government worker ($49,464), and home support workers who earn between $28,000 and $36,000 a year. A community social services worker earns between $30,000 and $35,000, while the head of Community Living B.C. makes just under $194,000.

This huge gap points to the challenge we face when we begin bargaining with the government and other agencies to conclude new agreements by March 2010.

To be successful, I believe that unions in all sectors need to go to the bargaining tables and present a united front to government and other employers.

The recent B.C. Federation of Labour convention endorsed this approach by passing a resolution, sponsored by the BCGEU, calling for solidarity bargaining. The resolution calls on the Federation to assist public sector unions with a cross-sector bargaining strategy, and work to end inequities in wages and benefits between community social services workers and other public sector workers. We have to bargain hard and smart to ensure that we get the strongest possible agreements.

I'm concerned that some Provincial government ministries have already been sending signals to their staff, that "some financial impacts" will affect their budgets this year and into the future. Cutting back on programs or staffing is the wrong strategy at a time when communities across B.C. are struggling.

Our union will not stand by and allow the Campbell government to cut support, cut programs, or hold back on wage increases in the next contract.