The nine-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA), representing more than 60,000 hospital and long-term care workers in B.C., reached a tentative agreement late last night with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC).

The three-year agreement includes significant compensation improvements as well as a number of measures to tackle serious staffing shortages and worker burnout. We've secured major new investments in training and education and a commitment to hire thousands of new workers. This will provide members with career mobility, reduced workloads and more secure work which is key to addressing the staffing crisis we face today.

As you know, protecting members' earnings against rising costs has been a key priority for our committee. This settlement provides for inflation-sensitive wage increases and other compensation improvements that will help keep skilled, experienced workers in health care, and attract new workers to careers in our hospitals and care homes.

Other provisions give workers a greater voice on changes to shifts and rotations, providing more opportunities to improve work-life balance. And in a sector with some of the highest injury rates in the province, the agreement also includes more comprehensive health and safety protections.

Addressing cuts and privatization under the former government, the agreement provides for the return of more contracted out workers to public sector employment and sets out a process to address the impact of historic wage cuts.

There are also a number of agreed-to provisions that promote greater inclusion and equity in health care, including measures to strengthen our progress towards reconciliation and culturally safe health care delivery.

We're proud of what we achieved in bargaining, and we look forward to sharing full details of the agreement with you in advance of voting on the agreement. Dates have not yet been scheduled.

In solidarity,

Your Facilities Bargaining Association Bargaining Committee 

UWU/MoveUP