I'm just catching up from being away, and there was excellent news in my inbox.

As you may know, ASPECT is a member of the Social Services Sector Roundtable Reference Group, which comprises about 40-50 social service umbrella organizations that help inform the Social Services Sector Roundtable. In the past, we collectively have advocated for changes to procurement, training supports, requests for funding, adoption of Truth and Reconciliation recommendations, and issues related to staff recruitment and retention for the sector. 

ASPECT contractors know wages, recruitment, and retention have been challenging in today's labour market. Earlier this month, David Galbraith, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, sent a letter to the Roundtable outlining plans to support contractors. Download the letter here. The following is an excerpt from the letter:

Given the significant negotiated wage increases, provincial funders are aware that the sector is concerned about the resulting implications for the non-union agencies and management salary compression.

Please be advised that the Province will provide the same percentage compensation funding lift to non-union and hybrid (partially unionized) agencies. Funding will also be provided to support management compensation increases consistent with the funding increases for union and non- union compensation. The funding applies to provincially funded services/positions only and are contingent on the completion of the 2022 CSSEA Employee Compensation and Turnover Survey and sharing the resulting agency-level compensation data with provincial funders.

We don't know the details of how this wage support will be coming and the administrative details, but I can tell you that ASPECT is working with our public service colleagues to figure that out. Stay tuned.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC