Frequently asked questions

• Ask a co-worker
• Check your pay stub to see if HEU union dues are being deducted
• Contact your union office, shop steward or someone on your local union executive
• Ask your manager if you are covered by a union collective agreement, and if so, which one
• We can also look you up in our database, so please call us at 604-438-5000 or 1-800-663-5813 (toll-free) OR send us an email info@heu.org

Contact your shop steward or someone on your local union executive. These HEU members are knowledgeable about your workplace and collective agreement.

You can also call our office and we can find someone who can help you. 604-438-5000 or 1-800-663-5813 (toll-free) or email info@heu.org.

Your collective agreement is a legal contract between HEU members in your workplace and your employer. It outlines wages, vacation time, benefits and other workplace rights.

Find your collective agreement

Your collective agreement will have a process for how your employer should deal with overtime and statutory holidays.

As a first step, read through your collective agreement or talk to your shop steward if you need help.

Find your collective agreement

You can also call our office and we can find someone who can help you. 604-438-5000 or 1-800-663-5813 (toll-free) or email info@heu.org.

If you know someone on your local union executive, they can help you find your seniority.

You can also call our office and we can find someone who can help you. 604-438-5000 or 1-800-663-5813 (toll-free) or email info@heu.org.

You can also ask your employer for this information.

Your wage schedule for pay increases are in your collective agreement.

Find your collective agreement

HEU members who belong to the health facilities (FBA), community health sub-sector (CBA) or Community Social Services Bargaining Association of Unions (CSSBA), and members working at a very limited number of independent care homes, are eligible for the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP).

If you are unsure if you are part of the MPP, check your paystub, which will show if you are contributing to the plan.

Helpful information about retirement can be found on our retirement information page.

For questions about your pension, contact the MPP  or phone toll-free 1-800-668-6335 toll-free.

HEU provides a monetary death benefit to members who currently have full-time, part-time, casual or LTD status.

This benefit may be claimed by a terminally-ill member prior to death, or by a designated beneficiary or the member’s estate following the death.

The benefit must be applied for within one year following the member’s death, or it can be given to a terminally-ill member at any time as long as the application is accompanied by a letter from the attending physician.

To request the death benefit, please submit a copy of the member’s death certificate and the original Death Benefit card to HEU’s finance department. If a Death Benefit card cannot be located, funds will be designated to the member’s estate.

For more information, contact your local executive or HEU’s finance department by calling 604-438-5000 or 1-800-663-5813 (toll-free).

If you disagree with a WorkSafeBC decision, you have the right to ask for an appeal.

To start a review, contact HEU WCB hotline at 604-456-7186 or toll-free at 1-877-438-5550 or email benefits@heu.org.

• Tell your manager immediately about the injury. If you need to leave your work area to seek first aid, inform them.
• Seek first aid treatment or medical treatment as soon as possible. Make sure you explain the incident/injury happened at work and how.
• Report the injury to your employer.
• Health Authority employees call the Workplace Health Call Centre at 1-866-922-9464. 
• Affiliate/Independent employees fill out an Incident/Injury Report. Ask your supervisor for the form.
• Ask for a copy of your report from your employer.
• File a claim with WorkSafeBC if you missed time from work or needed medical treatment.

There are three different ways to file a claim:

• By phone 1-888-WORKERS (1-888-967-5377)
• Online Complete the online application form at WorkSafeBC
• By mail or fax Complete the WorkSafeBC Application for Compensation and Report of Injury or Occupational Disease (Form 6) and submit it by fax or mail to WorkSafeBC.

If you need help, contact HEU WCB hotline at 604-456-7186 or toll-free at 1-877-438-5550 or email benefits@heu.org.

A number of post-secondary bursaries are available each academic year for HEU members, their children, stepchildren and children under the legal guardian, and spouses, including common-law and same-sex partners.

Applications usually open in the spring for the fall school year. Check out the bursaries page here.

If you are in the Facilities Bargaining Association, you may be eligible for the FBA Education Fund.

If you are a member of the Community subsector, you may be eligible for the Community Health Retraining Fund.

Even if you are in a non-union workplace, you are entitled to many basic rights that cover issues like hours of work, vacation, health and safety, personal privacy and joining a union.

Employment Rights in BC: A resource for non-unionized employees is a project of the Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS) and HEU.

It provides a simplified statement of employment rights for workers in British Columbia who aren’t in a union and not covered by a collective agreement.

Employment Rights in BC is available in English, Punjabi and Filipino. It covers the rights of employees in British Columbia set out in the Employment Standards Act, Human Rights Code, Labour Relations Code, Workers Compensation Act and Personal Information Protection Act.

This document is intended to educate non-union workers about their rights in the workplace. Please feel free to distribute it widely.

But remember – this document can’t cover all possible situations you may face at work – and is not a substitute for legal advice. If you think you need more help, talk to an advocate or a lawyer.

• Employment Rights in BC - English
• Employment Rights in BC - Punjabi
• Employment Rights in BC - Filipino