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About PSEC

Last updated on September 27, 2023

The Public Sector Employers' Council was established to oversee the Province's strategic coordination of labour relations, total compensation planning, and human resource management across the broader public sector. The Minister of Finance is responsible for the Public Sector Employers Act and is the Chair to the Public Sector Employers' Council. Members are appointed  by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

The Council’s duties are carried out by the Public Sector Employers’ Council Secretariat, which is led by a President and Chief Executive Officer.

Council Appointments

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Order in Council

 

Current appointed Public Sector Employers' Council members

*some new Ministers and employers’ association chairs to be appointed soon

  • Honourable Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development
  • Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health
  • Alan Chell, Chair of the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA)
  • Rod Santiago, Chair of the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA)
  • Douglas Campbell, Chair of the Post-Secondary Employers’ Association (PSEA)
  • Philip Steenkamp, Chair of the University Public Sector Employers' Association (UPSEA)
  • Chair of the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC)
  • Chair of the Crown Corporation Employers’ Association (CCEA)
  • Deputy Minister & Head of the BC Public Service Agency, Ministry of Finance

 

Council Authority

Council Authority Relationship Diagram

The Council’s authority was established through the Public Sector Employers Act  in 1993 when it formed the foundation for the way British Columbia manages collective bargaining for the Province’s unionized employees in the public sector. 

The legislation flowed from the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service and Public Sector (PDF) which sought to improve coordination and accountability for compensation matters, collective bargaining and human resource management.  

The Council is chaired by the Minister of Finance, who is responsible for the Public Sector Employers Act as well as for the Public Sector Employers' Council Secretariat. Its members include:

History of the Public Sector Employers’ Council

The Public Sector Employers’ Council model has continued to evolve over the last 20 years towards greater transparency, coordination and consistency in compensation decisions and bargaining outcomes, supported by data and research.  

1997

2002

  • Bill 66 amends the Act to:
    • require preparation of and Ministerial approval of compensation plans
    • strengthen standards for severance payments, accumulated sick leave, and unused vacation payouts
    • clarify that employment contracts for senior employees are publicly releasable
    • require all terms and conditions for senior employee compensation be provided to the Secretariat

2005

  • Negotiating the Framework Bargaining Mandate (2006-2010)

2007

  • Bill 33 amends the Act to require greater transparency and routine disclosure of senior employee compensation
  • The CEO Compensation Framework is introduced

2008

  • Amendments made to the Public Sector Employers Act were passed in May 2008 that enabled government to bring disclosure standards for executive compensation in the public sector to best practice standards.
  • First year for the annual disclosure of executive compensation, which provides details on the top five executives earning more than $125,000 base salary for each public sector organization, including an overview of the employers’ compensation objectives and philosophy  

2009

  • The Net-Zero Bargaining Mandate (2010-2012) 

2011

  • The Cooperative Gains Bargaining Mandate (2012-2014) 

2012

  • A new Crown Corporation Executive Compensation Policy amends aspects of the 2007 Framework with respect to Crown corporations 
  • A compensation freeze is implemented for excluded and executive employees across the B.C. public sector

2013

  • The Economic Stability Bargaining Mandate (2014-2019) 

2014

2015 - ongoing

  • Employers adopted a common public sector compensation philosophy, which includes the core principles of performance, differentiation, accountability, and transparency, as well as similar benchmarking practices.  One of the guiding principles of the common public sector philosophy is a performance-based culture where compensation decisions are based on merit rather than the entitlement to an increase linked to time spent in the position.  A common philosophy provides a standardized foundation for compensation decisions across broader public sector organizations

2018

2022

Contact information

Contact the Public Sector Employers' Council Secretariat

Fax
250 387-6258
Office
778 698-8549
Email
PSEC@gov.bc.ca
Mailing
PO Box 9400 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8V 9V1