September 10, 2018

Fraserside employees will see a general wage increase of 2% on April 1 every year for the next three years, thanks to the ratification of a new three-year collective agreement announced by the Community Social Services Employers' Association of BC (CSSEA) on August 27, 2018.

"Fraserside is particularly pleased with this collective agreement because it continues to invest in closing the wage gap between positions in the social services sector and similar positions in the community health sector," shares Fraserside's Human Resources Manager, Stephen LeBlanc. "This is a critical tool in addressing the recruitment and retention challenges we have experienced for some time."

The new agreements also include the creation of the first provincial Health and Safety Council for the social services sector. According to the announcement from CSSEA, this council will focus on reducing work-related injuries and promoting healthy and safe workplaces.

"Fraserside is firmly committed to the health and safety of our employees," reports Mr. LeBlanc. "Internally, over the last year and a half, we have spent significant time and energy promoting safe work environments for our workers. This includes the efforts of our agency-wide Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) committee, our leadership and management teams, and two of our programs who have conducted violence risk assessments. Our hope is that the new provincial council will support our existing efforts."

For further details on the new agreements, please see the Summary of Changes on the CSSEA website.