The first week of negotiations for a new Facilities collective agreement wrapped on Friday, with an agreement to return to the table this Wednesday and bargaining dates scheduled to continue into April.

Our bargaining team set the stage for a round of bargaining focused on safer workplaces and the need for bold measures to recruit and retain staff including significant increases to compensation.

We've been clear with health employers that a significant investment in front-line workers is required if we want our health care system to survive and thrive beyond this pandemic.

Your bargaining committee are committed to hammering out proposals that reflect the bargaining mandates adopted by delegates to union bargaining conferences last year.

In the first week of talks, the FBA established agreements with health employer representatives on how to conduct bargaining and reached agreement on a number of administrative issues.

How the FBA works

The Facilities collective agreement is negotiated between the Facilities Bargaining Association and the Health Employers Association of B.C. (HEABC). HEABC represents health authorities and Providence Healthcare plus those non-health-authority employers (affiliates) that are covered by the Facilities agreement.

The current collective agreement had a three-year term and expires on March 31, 2022.

The FBA is composed of nine unions with a total of over 54,000 workers. Under the FBA's rules of association, there are 23 voting members of the Facilities bargaining committee. Of these, 13 are allocated to HEU with the remaining ten positions allocated to the remaining unions based on their membership numbers within the FBA.

Seven of those spots are allocated to the BCGEU, two to the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 882, and one to the remaining six unions, which are represented in these talks by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 230.

We will continue to communicate on the status of negotiations and ensure a united strong voice on the important priorities established by our membership.

In solidarity,
Your Facilities Bargaining Association

UWU/MoveUP