Week 17 saw the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) make progress on key collective agreement provisions following the August 28 announcement of a historic Framework with the province on addressing decades-old cuts to health care.
“Coming on the heels of Thursday's landmark Framework, your bargaining committee continued to press ahead on securing important provisions for members,” says Lynn Bueckert, HEU secretary-business manager and FBA lead negotiator. “Together with the employers’ representatives, we made significant headway on leaves, occupational license and registration fees, career laddering opportunities and shift premiums.”
In addition to stepping up efforts to negotiate more than a dozen provisions, the two sides continued to be committed to the terms of the Framework. Correcting the devastating cuts to health care made by the BC Liberals beginning in the early 2000s has now become a central theme of this FBA bargaining committee’s work.
“It can’t be said enough – the BC Liberals wage cuts and privatization of health care services has had a generational impact on the quality of care in our province,” says Bueckert. “With this Framework now in place, your FBA bargaining committee is working towards a tentative collective agreement that will not only improve the lives of tens of thousands of mostly women and racialized workers, but will also improve the care that British Columbians receive in our hospitals and long-term care homes.”
Currently there is extensive speculation in the media and on social channels about the Framework and other provisions being negotiated. For example, recent posts incorrectly reported the FBA had accepted the employers’ initial general wage offer of up to 3.5 per cent – an offer the bargaining committee told HEABC was unacceptable soon after it was tabled.
“Since the end of June, I have reported to members – through bargaining updates and virtual town halls – that the employers’ first wage offer was unacceptable and that remains the position of the FBA,” says Bueckert.
“As we get closer to a tentative deal, it is so important members read the FBA bargaining updates on the HEU website and Facebook page to ensure they have the most current and accurate information about bargaining,” says Bueckert. “The landmark Framework along with all provisions that will be finalized in negotiations at the bargaining table will be detailed in the tentative collective agreement for members to review and vote on.”
Outside of bargaining, two other public sector unions initiated job action this past Tuesday following successful strike votes by their members. The FBA is supporting both unions and encourages all members to show their solidarity with fellow frontline workers by respecting any picket lines by not crossing them and, where possible, joining striking workers on their lines.
“While we continue making progress in bargaining the next Facilities collective agreement, we know each public sector table negotiates for its own members,” says Bueckert. “That’s why, we fully support BC General Employees’ Union and the Professional Employees’ Association members in their fights for fair deals.”
There is no activity at the bargaining table during the first and second weeks of September. New dates for talks will be forthcoming.