The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union says their native courtworker members have reached a tentative agreement with the Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia.

The agreement provides wage parity for native courtworkers with other public service workers doing similar work, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Until now, salary levels for comparable jobs in the Aboriginal services sector started at about $10,000 higher than for native courtworkers.

The agreement also provides a 1 per cent wage increase to all bargaining unit members, effective April 1, 2015. If ratified, the agreement is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2016.

November 19th

At the heart of the workers’ dispute is the failure of the B.C. government to bring these workers into the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) Aboriginal bargaining unit when it was created in 2003. Had it done so, the workers would be paid much more.

The starting wage for a Native Courtworker is only $31,800 a year, compared to $45,100 for a comparable classification under the Aboriginal Services agreement. Also, Native Courtworkers only receive partial benefits compared to the Aboriginal Services agreement.

Workers in this bargaining unit also haven’t had a wage increase in five years, and have only seen a 9 per cent pay increase since 2002. Meanwhile, the inflation rate rose 18 per cent in that time, which has eroded their purchasing power.

The BCGEU represents 36 members employed by the Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia, who provide court services and counselling to Aboriginal citizens in 20 communities across British Columbia.