In the 2022-2025 collective agreement, the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) – which includes more than 2,300 HEU members – made significant progress in achieving full mobility for all employees of a health authority, covered by the CBA contract.
Each health authority is currently divided up into “Appendix 1 Employers” in the collective agreement. Previously, if you worked for a health authority (in the absence of an agreement to the contrary), you worked for a separate employer within the health authority.
In many cases, this meant you were not considered an internal applicant at other workplaces covered by the same collective agreement, and it limited your ability to transfer seniority, benefits, and accruals (such as sick, special leave, and vacation banks).
Stage 1 – Transfer of Seniority, Steps, and Accruals
The first stage is now in effect. This means if you are the successful candidate for a job posting in the same health authority you are currently employed in, you can now opt to transfer all seniority, benefits, increment steps, and accruals to that position.
However, you are still considered an external applicant if you are applying to move from one “Appendix 1 Employer” to another (in the absence of an existing dovetailing agreement). This will change during Stage 2.
It’s important to be aware that you must fully leave all other positions within the health authority in order for this to apply, and you are not allowed to utilize this language if you wish to maintain your standing at another “Appendix 1 Employer” within your health authority.
You may, however, apply to work at other “Appendix 1 Employers” within your health authority, but you would now be considered a new employee and would not have any previous seniority or accruals recognized.
Example 1 – a mental health and addictions worker in Victoria (VIHA) is the successful applicant on a position in Nanaimo (VIHA). You can now transfer all your seniority, benefits, increment steps, and accruals to the new position as long as you are resigning from your position in Victoria.
Example 2 – an administrative worker holds two positions in Burnaby (FHA) and is the successful applicant on a position in Chilliwack (FHA). You can now transfer all your seniority, benefits, increment steps, and accruals to the new position as long as you are resigning from both your positions in Burnaby.
Example 3 – a food service worker holds two different positions in Kamloops (IHA) and is the successful applicant on a position with a third “Appendix 1 Employer” in Kamloops (IHA). You can now transfer all your seniority, benefits, increment steps, and accruals to the new position as long as you are resigning from both your other positions in Kamloops.
However, you can seek employment at either of the “Appendix 1 Employers” you used to work for, but you will be considered a new employee with no seniority or increment steps because you transferred it all to your new position.
Stage 2 – Dovetailing and Full Mobility
The second stage of mobility will occur in April 2024, when all seniority lists for a health authority in the CBA will be merged. You will have full mobility throughout and will be considered an internal candidate for all CBA positions regardless of where they are in the health authority.
However, this process will include limiting all CBA employees in a health authority to holding a maximum of 1.0 FTE. This means if you currently have two or more positions that are in excess of 1.0 FTE, then you will at some point have to determine which position you will keep and which one you will have to give up.
This will also impact employees who work in excess of 37.5 hours per week (40 hours per week for community health workers) at straight-time. Once the second stage is implemented, all hours worked in excess of a regular full-time position will be considered overtime, and those hours will likely be distributed to other employees at straight-time where it is possible.
If you wish to continue working in excess of the hours of a regular full-time employee at straight-time, you are advised to seek additional employment outside of your health authority or outside of the CBA.