MEMO:

October 15^th, 1998

TO: All Employees of Spectrum Society for Community Living

FROM: Ernie Baatz, Executive Director

Wage Equity Update: 1^st Pay raise effective Sept. 24^th, 1998!

As discussed in the Personnel Newsletter last month, we are pursuing a number of strategies to ensure all community support workers receive equitable wages. This month we added two new strategies to the list and have some tangible results for you.

First though, I'll review progress on last month's strategies:

1. Lawsuit against the government: The government has asked for additional time to prepare its statement of defence, which should be submitted this month. Once the statement of defence has been submitted, we can decide next steps in the litigation strategy.

2. We have developed lists of our local MLA's and started writing letters and making phone calls to request support for equitable wages for all employees in their ridings. Attached are two draft letters that you could use to write to your MLA, outlining your concerns with current government strategy.

3. We have resolutions drafted for the CSSEA Annual General Meeting this week to ensure that any wage settlements reached by CSSEA are consistent with the wage lift plan for the entire community living sector. Ernie and Susan will be attending these pivotal meetings and will include an update in your paycheques.

Our first new strategy is to look for new funding sources that we can use for wages. These new funding sources must be consistent and reliable sources.

Our second strategy is to look within the existing programs we offer to find some efficiencies or re-structuring of budgets, in cooperation with the Ministry, so that money can be freed up for wage increases.

The new strategies have already borne some fruit, as you can see on your paycheque. Our commitment has always been to ensure Community Support Workers at Spectrum receive equitable wages with CSW's at other agencies. When comparisons are made, many factors must be considered; Spectrum has a group RRSP that has a Society contribution equal to 1% of your wage, something no other agency offers. . As well, most of the CSW's in Vancouver must pay union dues in the range of 1.5% to 2%.

One recent certification in the Fraser Valley has a dues structure where all workers, including casual workers, must pay $18 per month whether they work or not, and then a percentage of their wages earned that month. If the dues are not paid, the worker cannot work any shifts. (For more information, check out http://www.laborers.org )

When benefits plans are compared, it's important to look at what portion of the benefits are paid by the Society and what portion are paid by the employees. Spectrum's benefits plan premiums are paid entirely by the society, with the exception of the Long Term Disability plan - paid for by employees so that their LTD benefits will be tax free.

Effective September 24^th, 1998, the following pay scales are in effect:

Over the next six months, we will pursue the above five strategies, with your assistance, and by March 31, 1999, we will achieve our goal of equitable wages for community support workers. For your information, each raise of 10 cents requires $22,000 per year of guaranteed ongoing funding. As we get additional funding we will increment the wage scale.

Steps toward wage equity:

If you have any questions about the above information, please call me at the office, 323-1433 or talk to your Policy Representative.

Sincerely,

Ernie Baatz

Executive Director

For Aaron, Susan and the Board of Directors