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Vancouver (12 Dec. 2018) — Details of the tentative agreement reached between the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) for the term of April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2022, are now available for review by members of the Health Sciences Association of B.C. (HSABC/NUPGE).
New contract lanuage addresses major issues
HSPBA and HEABC entered into negotiations in the fall in advance of the expiry of the current collective agreement, and after the ratification of 3 collective agreements reached in B.C.’s public sector bargaining with the government. Those agreements established a pattern that set a base general wage increase for all public sector workers. And they allowed for flexibility to address inequities that had developed over almost 2 decades of government-imposed restrictions to free collective bargaining.
Through 2.5 months of bargaining, both the union's and the employer's bargaining committees focused on negotiating collective agreement solutions that address years of erosion in the system. They focused on issues that affected HSABC/NUPGE members’ ability to provide the care that British Columbians expect and deserve.
In addition to a general wage increase for all members, this tentative agreement addresses issues that health science professionals have struggled with for the past 2 decades. These issues include:
- the lack of value for the important contributions of each and every member of the health care team
- unsustainable workloads
- chronic shortages and vacancies of critical members of the health care team
- a dysfunctional system of addressing increasing challenges in health and safety and work.
Health science professionals work in a complex health care system that requires strategic solutions to ensure the best health care services are available to patients and clients when and where they need them.
HSABC/NUPGE members encouraged to accept the new collective agreement
The HSABC/NUPGE board believes this tentative agreement meets those demands, and supports the recommendation of the bargaining committee to vote yes.
Voting on the tentative agreement will be conducted throughout January 2019 in communities across the province. In addition, members will have opportunities to attend telephone town halls and in-person information meetings in January. For members in communities where no in-person voting is available, members will receive information and voting packages by mail.
A report detailing the proposed changes is available here.
The proposed agreement is available here. Underlined sections are the proposed language changes.