On October 3, the multi-union Community Bargaining Association (CBA) declared an impasse in contract negotiations with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC).
The parties have been meeting since March to negotiate a renewed collective agreement covering 23,000 health care workers, including 2,300 HEU members.
The bargaining committee says they’ve been unable to address the top priorities identified by members.
The main issues include:
- The retroactive removal of the Investment Return Guarantee Adjustment (IRGA), which has transferred millions of dollars from members’ benefit trust back to HEABC employers. These monies would have otherwise been used to solidify and expand health benefits, and avoid falling further behind other health care workers.
- The expansion of overtime by seniority to curtail the offering of overtime by convenience and relationships.
- Giving community health workers (CHWs) the security of fixed shifts and breaks that other health care workers have had for decades, and ensuring employers can’t revert to the “gig work” scheduling that CHWs have endured for 30 years.
- Adjusting the wages, shift premiums, vacation, and other monetary entitlements to the same rates of other HEABC health care workers doing the same work.
In the absence of an improved offer from the HEABC, the CBA is now considering taking a strike vote.
At the CBA bargaining table, committee members Nicole Russell, Lisa Bouma and Donna Zmaeff represent HEU’s community health members, along with servicing representatives Brenda Brown and Tasha Whenham.
HEU’s community health members are encouraged to keep their contact information updated – heu.org/change-contact-information – to stay informed on the bargaining process.
The Community Bargaining Association includes BCGEU (the lead), CUPE, HEU (2,300 members), UFCW, HSA, BCNU, and USW, covering 23,000 health care workers across the province.