CSSEA Employers Ordered to Pay Missing Wages by Dec. 31, 2023
After months of working to force employers to pay retroactive wages, owed to many community social services workers in the Community Social Services Bargaining Association at worksites across the province, Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) employers have been ordered to pay missing wages – with interest – by December 31, 2023. These wage increases were achieved in bargaining and negotiated into your collective agreement retroactive to April 2022.
The union bargaining association filed a policy grievance in June 2023. That step successfully pressured most employers to pay up, but some were still unfairly not implementing wage increases. The policy grievance was heard this fall, and yesterday, October 24, the arbitrator ruled in the union bargaining association’s favour.
Here is a summary of the decision regarding your wage top-ups for 2022 and April 2023:
- CSSEA member employers that have not paid wage increases and/or retroactive payments by Oct. 31, 2023, will, by Dec. 31, 2023:
- pay the wage increases and retroactive payments, and
- pay interest, calculated in accordance with the Court Order Interest Act, in relation to wages earned (including retroactive payment owing) from September 11, 2023, to the date the monies are paid.
- If an employer does not pay workers the wage increases owed by Oct. 31, 2023, they must disclose this information to CSSEA and update the association when they do pay up. They must also provide calculations and confirmation of payment of interest owed.
You can read the full decision here:
This decision not only enforces a deadline, but it also financially incentivizes those employers that still owe you money to pay sooner. CSSEA has also notified your employers.
These wage increases are six months overdue; you should not have been forced to wait this long. The frustration and stress that these delays caused is unnecessary and unfair.
However, the ordeal has proven that speaking up works, and by using all the tools that your union membership provides, you got results!
The Community Social Services Bargaining Association represents union members working in community social services across the province. The lead union in the association is BCGEU. HSA members are represented in the bargaining association, as are members of CUPE, HEU, USW, UFCW, CSWU, CLAC, BCNU and SEIU.