For a second week, health and safety was the primary focus of talks between representatives of the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) and the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) bargaining committee when negotiations resumed on July 16 and 17.
“For week 13, the FBA tabled a number of counter proposals regarding health and safety,” says FBA lead negotiator and HEU secretary-business manager Lynn Bueckert.
“We know health care is the most dangerous sector in B.C., that’s why we came back to the table with our response to the employers’ latest positions on reducing the impact of aggressive patients and residents, additional support for joint occupational health and safety committee members and ways to improve working alone.”
The FBA bargaining committee also tabled proposals on improving trades apprenticeship training, and other language improvements.
On Tuesday, July 15, over 3,700 FBA members took part in the evening telephone town hall hosted by HEU president Barb Nederpel, along with guest speakers FBA bargaining committee chair Chena Binns, lead negotiator Lynn Bueckert and HEU financial secretary Betty Valenzuela.
“It was so great to have thousands of HEU members from across B.C. take part in our first telephone town hall for this round of Facilities bargaining,” says Bueckert. “Members on the line heard directly from the committee and posed dozens of questions about how talks are progressing.”
“There were many questions about the employers’ first offer on wages and what the FBA committee is doing in response,” says Bueckert. “We also had several questions on wage comparability and what amount had the HEABC proposed in terms of additional wage adjustments to address the vicious BC Liberal wage rollbacks from 21 years ago.”
To recap, in June, the employers’ representatives made their first offer on general wage increases. The two options tabled outline a two-year agreement, from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027, with wage increases occurring every six months. However, the wage increases were slightly different in each option.
Table 1: Health employers' first general wage offer
| Options | Year One | Year Two |
| One | 0.75% as of April 1, 2025, and 0.75% as of October 1, 2025 | 1% as of July 1, 2026, and 1% as of October 1, 2026 |
| Two | 0.5% + $0.15/hour as of April 1, 2025 0.5% + $0.15/hour as of October 1, 2025 | 1% as of July 1, 2026, and 1% as of October 1, 2026 |
“As I reported to members on the telephone town hall, the FBA told the employer that the wage offer was not acceptable, and we are continuing to develop our general wage increase response,” says Bueckert.
“The same is true for the wage adjustments that the employer proposed to address wage comparability – their offer of $17 million over two years is not sufficient, and we are coming back to the employer with our counter proposal in the coming weeks.”
Today, the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) announced that they have reached an impasse with the government in their negotiations. In the coming weeks, BCGEU members will be participating in a strike vote. “The FBA bargaining committee will continue to be focused on bargaining for FBA members, and is in full support of the BCGEU,” says Bueckert.
Bargaining for the Facilities Agreement is set to resume on July 23.