The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) bargaining committee met with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) from January 19 to 23, following the strong strike mandate delivered by members in December.
Meaningful progress was made on a number of non-monetary proposals at the table. During these discussions, the employer also presented a revised monetary offer.
This revised offer begins to address some long-standing inequities between the CBA collective agreement and the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) agreement. However, the bargaining committee requires time to carefully review the complete package before providing members with an accurate outline of the proposed compensation.
Significant issues remain outstanding, and negotiations are not yet complete. Two additional weeks of bargaining are scheduled for February 2-6 and February 17-20.
The progress made this week reflects the strength of the strike vote and the continued solidarity shown by CBA members. That mandate has strengthened the bargaining committee’s position at the table and remains critical as negotiations continue.
Further updates will be shared as soon as more information becomes available.
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.
Public sector update
While the CBA continues to make headway in negotiations, here’s what is happening in other public sector bargaining associations:
- Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA): On December 19, the FBA ratified a four-year collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC).
- Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA): Earlier in January, the HSPBA bargaining committee suspended contract negotiations and is now preparing for job action.
- Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA): CSSBA bargaining is ongoing with the focus now on monetary proposals.
- Nurses Bargaining Association (NBA): The NBA tabled its main package of proposals this week when contract negotiations resumed.
HEU community health members are encouraged to keep their contact information up to date at heu.org/change-contact-information to stay informed throughout bargaining.
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