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The PEA is pleased to announce that the staff at the Hospital Employees’ Union have voted to join us! We look forward to welcoming this new chapter and working with our new members.
Monday, June 26, 2017
This meeting is dedicated to Professional Development & Business, running from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 20, 2017 SMS Union Update » read more
Wednesday, April 5, 2017 Oversight at Risk: The State of Government Science in British Columbia » read more
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 March Coffee Event Update » read more
Time for a shortcut. Based on what you ask for most often, we've provided some quick links to our key content.
The stereotype of the librarian as a stern, older woman with thick glasses, a calf-length wool skirt and sensible shoes is pervasive in popular culture. Often she is portrayed glaring at teenagers snickering in a quiet corner or grumbling under her breath at books with dog-eared pages. But spend a storytime with Ardie Burnham of the Okanagan Regional Library, and you’ll see how far that stereotype is from the 21st century librarian. Read more.
Ardie Burnham Librarian
The PEA was formed in 1974, by a group of professionals working in the public sector. The story goes that the founders of the union mortgaged their houses to fund negotiations of the union’s first collective agreement.
Now, the PEA is BC’s union for professionals. We represent a wide range of professionals including lawyers, foresters, engineers, agrologists, teachers, veterinarians, fundraisers, physiotherapists, pharmacists, psychologists program managers, librarians and more.
Our union is led by the PEA Executive. They represent members from across the chapters of the PEA and set the overall vision and direction for our union.
Navigating a union can sometime be a challenging process. Under this section of the website you will find resources to help you navigate the PEA. In the members section you'll find expense claim reimbursements, information on the PEA's scholarship and bursary program and our grants and donations program.
Collective bargaining and job action resources explain the process of collective bargaining and what to do in the unlikely event of job action.
Local reps can also find resources to help them complete their job more effectively. This includes ways to welcome new members, how to take notes in investigation disciplinary meetings and more.
The PEA is made up of ten chapters, or groups of members who either work for the same employer or are in the same field of work. Each chapter has an elected executive tasked with running the affairs of the chapter. Each chapter is entitled to representation at the PEA Executive, the governing body of the union.
Our members work for a range of employers: the Province of BC, the University of Victoria, St. Margaret's School, the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program, the Oil and Gas Commission, the Law Society of BC, Legal Services Society, the Okangan Regional Library and health authorities across BC.
Since the 1970’s, when the PEA was formed, our mission has been to ensure our members can work in safe, productive environments and receive fair and reasonable wages and benefits for the valuable work they do. We help individuals and groups of professional workers to understand the challenges they face in their workplaces and some of the solutions available to them.
We work with potential members to become certified as a union and achieve the wages, benefits and respect they deserve.
The Professional is the PEA's award-winning, quarterly magazine for members.
The December 2016 issue includes a profile of Beth Eagles, a cruising-policy forester with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources. This issue also covers what the PEA and the labour movement are doing to support the next generation of workers. Finally, we highlight the significance of the Brian Day court case currently working its way through the courts.
