Accenture’s Section 54 Proposal and the Union’s Response

As per Section 54 of the BC Labour Code your Union met with the Employer on November 22 to discuss the positions which will be affected by Accenture’s loss of the BC Hydro contract.

At that meeting Accenture tabled their proposals, which you can read online by clicking here. We strongly encourage you to read beyond the summary and to take a careful look at the details of the proposal.

Your Union is keen to discuss and work on these proposals with the Employer in order to come to an agreement which will provide the maximum benefit to all of our members. We plan to have ongoing meetings with Accenture to discuss this document and the items within it.

However, some of the items in the Employer’s Section 54 proposal are misplaced. Items relating to money and blue circling are more appropriately dealt with in collective agreement negotiations. This does not mean your Union does not want to discuss these issues – quite to the contrary, COPE 378 is very interested in productive negotiations and a positive resolution to these items.

In an effort to deal with the collective bargaining items in a timely fashion, your Union has sent a letter to the Employer asking to meet under the appropriate circumstances. Click here to see the letter.

COPE 378 wants to work with the Employer to find the best possible resolution for all of our members. That goal is best served by not confusing these two distinct issues, but dealing with both on their own merits.

For clarity, Section 54 of the provincial labour statute states: “If an employer introduces or intends to introduce a measure, policy, practice or change that affects the terms, conditions or security of employment of a significant number of employees to whom a collective agreement applies...the employer must give notice to the trade union that is party to the collective agreement at least 60 days before the date on which the measure, policy, practice or change is to be effected”.

In solidarity,

Gwenne Farrell, COPE 378 Vice President
Brad Bastien, Senior Union Representative
Lucas Meyer, Bargaining Committee
Nancy DeVries, Bargaining Committee
Melanie Greenlaw, Bargaining Committee
Rob Larson, Bargaining Committee