Two more days of talks were held the first week of May between representatives of the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) where proposals and counter proposals were exchanged for a renewed collective agreement covering 58,000 Facilities subsector members.
“On Tuesday and Wednesday, your FBA committee continued to put forward new monetary proposals covering improvements to employment expenses, casual member entitlements, special leave and vacation,” says FBA lead negotiator and HEU secretary-business manager Lynn Bueckert. “HEABC also tabled a number of counter proposals on job postings and applications, as well as bullying and harassment.”
In addition to talks with the employer, the FBA bargaining committee continued internal deliberations on proposals for wages and other direct financial compensation for members. At this point no unions engaged in public sector bargaining have tabled proposals on a general wage increase with their employer group.
“In our discussions with other public sector unions this week through the B.C. Federation of Labour, it was confirmed wages have not yet been tabled at any bargaining table,” says Bueckert. “The Public Sector Employers’ Council (PSEC) has not yet announced a compensation mandate for any public sector employers through any of the sector’s bargaining tables.”
PSEC reports directly to the Minister of Finance, as part of its responsibility for coordination of labour relations, compensation planning and human resource management for the provincial public sector. For the past 32 years, PSEC has taken the lead in establishing a mandate for all bargaining in the public sector, including proposing a standard year-over-year general wage increase limit for all negotiating tables.
Outside of bargaining, HEU launched a new advertising campaign calling on health employers and the government to work together with HEU and other health care unions to strengthen public health care across our province.
"Throughout May, the public will find our advertising campaign on radio stations throughout B.C. and social media channels making the case that by supporting health care workers, we make care better for everyone,” says Bueckert. “It's well known that HEU members want quality public health care for British Columbians, but right now, it’s under a lot of strain, making it harder for patients and workers.”
More information about HEU’s public relations campaign can be found at the This Is Health Care website.
For up-to-date and accurate information about Facilities bargaining, members can also find the latest news in the bulletins posted on the union’s website and official social media channels.
News on bargaining progress and proposals on unofficial HEU sites and social media channels may lack critical details and can contain disinformation.