After pausing negotiations on Friday, August 12, to show support for the strike action taken by BCGEU members working for the Public Service Agency (PSA), collective bargaining will resume on Thursday, August 25 between the nine-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC).

Protecting health care workers’ wages against rising costs is key to this round of bargaining. As workers in the PSA fight for a deal that includes meaningful cost of living (COLA) protections, what they win will benefit all public sector union members in bargaining this year, including our own negotiations. To that end, we’re hopeful that government and employers are prepared to improve their position on wage protection.

Negotiations are set against the backdrop of a three-year pandemic that’s left health care workers exhausted and short-handed. We need bold measures to address the staffing pressures members face on the frontlines of the health care system now, and to attract the health care workforce of tomorrow.

Our committee looks forward to getting back to the table tomorrow and building on what have been very productive discussions to date.

In solidarity,

Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

The multi-union facilities bargaining committee will be taking a break from talks after logging six months of bargaining for a new collective agreement.
 
Despite strong momentum at the bargaining table, the FBA unions are pausing negotiations to show support to BCGEU members who issued 72-hours strike notice to their employer, the Public Service Agency (PSA) on Friday afternoon. 72-hours strike notice does not apply to our bargaining unit and only affects members who work for B.C.’s Public Service.
 
As workers in the Public Service are set to take job action this afternoon, what they win will benefit all public sector union members in bargaining this year including our own negotiations. Our solidary and support at this time is essential.
 
In the last few weeks, your committee has been engaged in active and productive discussions with the employer on inflation-fighting wage increases, improvements to various premiums and allowances, and addressing the impact of historic wage cuts on health care workers.
 
We’ve also secured agreements with the employer in areas including employee-initiated rotation and schedule changes, work from home arrangements, a more comprehensive complaints investigation process, and improvements to maternity and parental leave.
 
In addition, we have agreed to new language to empower members in tackling harassment and new tools to reduce six-day rotations and make other scheduling changes that improve work-life balance and reduce burnout.
 
Again, our negotiations at the facilities bargaining table are now on pause. Dates for the resumption of talks have not yet been scheduled.
 
In solidarity,
 
Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

This past week the multi-union committee continued to push your employer(s) for a fair compensation package that will protect your wages against rising costs. We want to see a compensation package that puts members ahead while also addressing historic and unfair wage cuts that have undermined the principle of pay equity for members.
 
Starting with over 200 proposals, your committee has worked diligently to make important gains for you. We're now applying that same diligence to negotiating wages.
 
Negotiations will resume next week.
In solidarity,
 
Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

Progress continues to be made on key collective agreement priorities after three days of negotiations at the facilities bargaining table last week.
 
The multi-union committee is making good progress, but there is still work to do on the key issue of fair compensation – including wage increases – in order to address the increasing cost of living.
 
Last week we countered the employer's wages and compensation offer and with another two days of bargaining scheduled for this week, the committee is hopeful for more progress.

 
In solidarity,
 
Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

The nine-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) continued productive discussions last week.
 
To address members' need for more work-life balance and relief from stress and burnout, the committee has been pushing the employer to improve occupational health and safety, tackle workload, and implement employee-initiated rotations and scheduling.
 
The parties have agreed on new language that would provide members with more flexibility in scheduling annual vacations by holding back some vacation hours, as well as a commitment to create a benchmark for porters. The committee has also made progress on securing more resources for Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) stewards, which will provide greater support for workers who are ill or injured.
 
Negotiations have also included many equity-related improvements, like addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism and the recruitment and support of Indigenous workers; more support for workers accessing gender-affirming transition; a review of mental health supports; and a more efficient process for addressing respectful workplace concerns, sexual harassment, and the Complaints Investigation process.
 
Energized by the gains made so far, your committee is now getting ready to tackle the key issue of achieving a compensation package that will protect your paycheques against rising costs.
 
Contract talks continue this week.
 
In solidarity,
 
Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

Progress continues to be made on key priorities after five days of negotiations last week at the facilities subsector bargaining table. This process began with more than 200 bargaining proposals and we're making steady progress on provisions that will address workload and improve health and safety.
 
We're tackling the systemic barriers in our health care system that stand in the way of recruitment and career mobility for many workers. All parties at the table are committed to addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism and systemic discrimination in the health care system in concrete and meaningful ways, including recruitment and retention initiatives for Indigenous workers. The two sides have also exchanged proposals to establish a provincial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) working group to review baseline demographic data and make recommendations to the Ministry of Health and employers on training and other initiatives. The multi-union bargaining committee is making progress toward expanding the Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) program, which provides support to ill and injured workers.
 
We are making headway, but compensation, including wage increases, remain an outstanding issue. The bargaining committee is committed to achieving a settlement that provides economic security to members in the face of rising costs. Bargaining continues this week.
 
In solidarity,
 
Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

Momentum is building! Until last week, the pace of negotiations had been frustrating for our bargaining committee with the employer slow to respond to the FBA’s comprehensive package of proposals. However, in the last week the employer tabled counter-proposals to a number of items including health and safety, recruitment and retention and access to job training and education.

A full five days of bargaining is scheduled for this week. As momentum develops at the table we’re encouraged, but we also know that a new collective agreement must protect wages against the rising cost of living and the compensation package remains an outstanding issue. To that end, the BCGEU continues to coordinate with other public sector unions that are in bargaining on the issue of compensation. 

The BCGEU has also joined the HEU, CUPE BC, PEA, BCTF, UFCW, and MoveUp in placing ads in several B.C. newspapers over the past two weeks to press for fair compensation for public sector workers. You can share a video version of this ad here.

Finally, our committee wanted to note that talks have currently broken down between the Public Service Agency (PSA) and our fellow BCGEU members working in the public service. Those members voted by nearly 95 per cent in favour of striking for a fair collective agreement that includes cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). While negotiations at the FBA table (and at most other public sector tables) are at earlier stages than the PSA table, we’ll be watching closely as this group works to demand action on what has become a key issue for all workers in B.C.

In solidarity,

Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

Talks this week for a new facilities subsector collective agreement covering 58,000 health care workers across the province focused on several key health and safety provisions, union rights, vacation and special leaves.

We're making some headway particularly in small group discussions with the employer in addressing critical issues like violence in the workplace, and psychological health and safety.
 
Members from your Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) bargaining committee have met with representatives from the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) to review sections of Article 37 – Occupational Health and Safety.
 
The goal of Article 37 is to promote "safe working conditions, the prevention of accidents, the prevention of workplace injuries and the promotion of safe workplace practices." Both parties also agree to enforce the Workers' Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
 
We are pushing for stronger Article 37 language to support the work of Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees, including more training, paid time off for committee work and meeting preparation, plus improved provisions on workload, critical incident stress debriefing, workplace violence, psychological health and safety, and pandemic response tools.
 
Counterproposals were presented by both parties dealing with rest and meal periods, and paid leaves including for those who have experienced sexual or domestic violence. 

We are advocating for improvements to vacation holdback provisions to ensure more worker control over your paid vacation leaves.
 
The biggest outstanding issue is the compensation packages.
 
With inflation at its worst in four decades, workers continue to have deep concerns about wages falling behind, and whether bargaining will result in retroactive pay. In a renewed collective agreement, any negotiated wage increases scheduled between April 1, 2022 and the date of ratification will be retroactive.
 
Bargaining continues next week with dates scheduled through the first week of July.

In solidarity.

Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP

Have you heard the news? Your fellow BCGEU members in the Public Service voted 94.6% in favour of striking for a fair collective agreement that includes cost-of-living-adjustments. Here’s how this affects you:
 
Members directly employed by the Government of B.C. took a strike vote to push their employer, the Public Service Agency (PSA), to improve their disappointing wage offer and come back with a fair proposal. As the vote wrapped up – before we even knew the results – their employer asked the union’s bargaining committee to return to negotiations. 
 
Just by voting, your fellow members sent a strong message to their employer. Today they amplified that message, and made it clear they’re united in their commitment to negotiate fair wages. They are now in a strong position to get a fair deal, and this is good news for you because the public service is the largest sectoral bargaining unit in the province and can set a strong precedent for other sectors like yours.
 
A win for the public service is a win for you. 
 
Am I going on strike? 
No, your bargaining unit is not going on strike. The strike vote does not apply to your bargaining unit, only to the 33,000 members in the Public Service (direct government services in Components 1, 5, 6, 12 and 20).
 
Are public service members going on strike? 
Not immediately. This will depend on their employer’s position when they return to the bargaining table. Depending on that, BCGEU public service members may have to action the strike vote. Don't worry – we will provide updates when we know more. 
 
Many of you work alongside these members, we all depend on the services they provide, so your union will tell you ahead of time if there will be any job action.
 
Make sure to keep up-to-date with updates from your bargaining committee to find out actions you can take to help them apply pressure at the bargaining table. If they’re feeling the strength of our solidarity from all sides, they cannot ignore us. 
 
In Solidarity,
 
Stephanie Smith
BCGEU President 

UWU/MoveUP