Meet Our Chapters
The PEA Chapters are the heart of our Association. They are naturally aligned groups that share similar professional goals, skills, attributes and direction — and so they bargain with employers as separate entities working underneath the PEA umbrella.
You can find out more about each Chapter, including the respective collective agreement, by exploring their pages. But bear in mind there is some content that is available to logged-in members only.
BCER: British Columbia Energy Regulator
The PEA is the bargaining agent for professionals at the British Columbia Energy Regulator following its devolution from the provincial government in October of 2006. PEA members at the BCER remain members of the Government Licensed Professionals Chapter.
FMA: Family Maintenance Agency
The Family Maintenance Agency comprises lawyers employed in the BC Attorney-General's Family Maintenance Enforcement Program.
GLP: Government Licensed Professionals
Over 1200 PEA members work for ministries and agencies across British Columbia, in the direct employ of the provincial government. Government Licensed Professionals include foresters, engineers, agrologists, geoscientists, psychologists, and others.
HESU: Hospital Employees' Staff Union
Hospital Employees' Staff Union — this chapter represents the staff at the Hospital Employees’ Union including positions in accounting, administration, building services, communications, equity, legal, payroll, organizing, research and servicing.
HSP: Health Science Professionals
Health Science Professionals — physiotherapists, pharmacists, psychologists and public health engineers — who work for regional health authorities are represented by a bargaining association.
LSL: Law Society Lawyers
The LSL comprises staff lawyers working for The Law Society of BC — the independent governing body that protects the public interest in the administration of justice.
LABC: Legal Aid BC
Legal Aid BC was founded in 1979 to provide legal aid to qualified applicants. PEA represents employed lawyers who work for the Society and practice primarily in criminal, family and immigration law.
ORL: Okanagan Regional Librarians
Comprised of professional librarians employed by the Okanagan Regional Library Board — the Board operates local libraries from Kelowna to Golden and Revelstoke to Princeton.
SMS: St. Margaret's School
This Chapter includes teachers and support workers at St. Margaret's — one of Canada's leading non-denominational schools for girls.
UVic: University of Victoria
PEA members in this Chapter include administrative officers, systems specialists, program coordinators, academic assistants, laboratory instructors, and many other classifications at UVic.
In this section
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.
Resources for our members
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 heart of our union
The PEA is made up of nine 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.
Professionals need unions now more then ever
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.
