The BC Labour Relations Board has ruled that the Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) is bargaining in bad faith with its unionized employees and ordered the parties to return to the table to discuss monetary items, the union said this morning.
According to the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union local 378 (COPE 378), ICBC has been saying it can’t bargain wages and benefits until the B.C. government finishes a review of ICBC’s services, and can only offer a five-year contract with zero increases each year.
According to the union, the order states that “[ICBC] is ordered to withdraw its refusal to negotiate monetary items and is ordered to bargain towards a collective agreement with the union on all issues.”
In a statement, COPE vice-president Jeff Gillies welcomed the order.
“We’re pleased the labour board cleared away this artificial barrier ICBC had thrown up,” he said. “We’re eager to get back to the table to bargain a fair and reasonable agreement for our members.”
