CEO Update - January 2025

Bargaining Contact Updates

As CSSEA continues to prepare for 2025 bargaining, we will be taking the opportunity to confirm or update your agency’s primary bargaining contact in the coming weeks. This contact will receive all confidential Bargaining Updates that CSSEA distributes when we commence bargaining and will also receive ratification-related communications.
CSSEA will send an auto-generated e-mail to our existing primary bargaining contact on January 29 to ask for confirmation that they are still the appropriate contact; if not, changes can be made directly in the e-mail. CSSEA staff will follow up directly with any undelivered e-mails. If you have questions about this process, please contact Doris Sun, Director of Communications, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We thank you in advance for helping ensure our records are kept up-to-date.

Essential Services Database

Based on feedback provided by the volunteer member agencies who tested the draft version of the online Essential Services Database, we are now making final adjustments. The database will be launched to the membership before essential services levels establishment begins. When it is rolled out, members will be asked to populate it with their negotiated essential services levels from 2022. They will then have the opportunity to review and update their 2022 levels to create their 2025 levels. In the event a member did not participate in essential services negotiations in 2022 and no essential services levels exist, the member will populate the database to create their baseline 2025 levels. More details will be circulated when the database launches.

Authorization to Provide Agency-Level Data

CSSEA recently sent an Information Bulletin to members requesting authorization to provide agency-level compensation information to your funders on your behalf, if requested. We thank all members who have already sent confirmations and authorizations, and ask those who have not yet responded to e-mail CSSEA to verify that your authorization is still valid. Alternatively, members may complete this authorization form to make updates. Please send confirmations or completed authorization forms by January 31, 2025 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . If you have any questions, please contact David Lin, Research Analyst, at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Awards of Excellence

In 2025, CSSEA will be celebrating 10 years of recognizing excellence in the community social services sector through the Community Social Services Awards of Excellence. We invite all members to start thinking about submitting a nomination for an outstanding individual working at your agencies during this milestone year. Nominations will open by early March and we look forward to sharing your stories of inspiration and resilience at this year’s awards ceremony, taking place in Kelowna on October 10. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to Telus for supporting this important recognition program for the past decade.

Staffing Announcements

After 30 years of positive, professional and innovative contributions to CSSEA, Pauline Irving will be retiring as Finance and Payroll Administer this spring. We wish her all the very best as she embarks on her new chapter and look forward to keeping in touch. We are pleased to announce that Cecilia Piano will be joining CSSEA as our new Accountant, Finance and Payroll Administrator, starting today. Cecilia brings a wealth of experience in financial management, administration and operations to the organization. Most recently, she served as the Manager of Finance and Administration at the Vancouver Public Library Foundation. Cecilia holds a CPA, CGA, and an MBA.

The HRLR team will be welcoming new Consultant, Sharde Long. Sharde has a Human Resources and Labour Relations background and most recently worked as the Director of People and Culture at Power to Be Adventure Therapy Society. She has also worked at Victoria Women’s Transition House and the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre. Sharde was recipient of the 2020 CPHR Rising Star award, holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and a post-degree Diploma in HR Management and Leadership from Camosun College. Sharde is based out of Victoria and will be commencing work on February 10. Members assigned to Sharde will be notified in the coming weeks.