Tim Little

Local: 404
Job title: Enviornmental Health Officer
Employer worksite: Maple Ridge Health Unit, Health Protection

Why did you get involved in bargaining this round?
This is my last contract before I retire, and it is sort of a goodbye and thank you to everyone on the HSPBA Bargaining Committee. I have known many of the people for over 20 years and I have grown to respect and appreciate their dedication to our workforce.
What does solidarity during bargaining mean to you?
I am a " big picture" type of person, so my strategy is to always help the greatest number of people regardless of union affiliations. A good example would be the Grade 1 to Grade 2 lift obtained in the last round of bargaining. This reclassification gave every grade 1 member a pay increase, whether they were BCGEU, HSA, PEA, or CUPE.
What would you say to fellow members about getting involved in bargaining?
Think big picture, long term and be prepared to do the work. It is not a 9-5 job – I have been at the bargaining table with the employer signing contract language at 2 in the morning.
What do you want the public to know about your work and its value to the people living in British Columbia?
Environmental Health Officers act as a preventive tool in the health care system and our work is largely invisible to the public. However, our profession impacts their lives every day. If you swim in a city, strata or hotel pool, it has been approved and inspected by one of my colleagues. The food you eat at any store, restaurant or pub must be prepared to the high standards that we enforce. The same public health standards apply to beauty salons, tattoo parlors and nail salons. If you are connected to a water system, one of my colleagues routinely checks the system for compliance. Our members had an extensive role in the mitigation of the COVID epidemic, including case contact tracing and site inspections. In summary, we are embedded in the preventative health care system but largely go unnoticed.

Matthew Cook

Local: 401
Job title: Forensic Community and Liaison Social Worker
Employer worksite: Provincial Health Services Authority

Why did you get involved in bargaining this round? I wanted to get in the “nitty-gritty” of what the union actually does. Collective bargaining is THE reason we have unions, and I wanted to experience the actual process of that, as opposed to having an abstract idea of it. What does solidarity during bargaining mean to you? It means you hold the line together. You may have issues with your fellow members, or the larger union, or other unions, but when it’s the Boss on one side of the table and everyone else on the other side, you put aside whatever pettiness you’ve been nursing and focus on the bigger picture for the most workers. You support each other in bargaining, and whatever complaints you have, you air them after the deal is done.
What would you say to fellow members about getting involved in bargaining? It is a lot more complicated than what anyone has told you. There are other unions, other agreements, all kinds of legislation that has been going on for decades that shroud the whole process. That said, there you will be supported by people who have been going through this process for decades. If we’re going to make gains, then it’s important that you get involved now so that you can become one of those people who will be advising future members. At this pivotal moment in history, when our collective politics are turning, it’s deeply important that people – rank and file members – start putting themselves forward to defend the victories that workers have won in the past. Because everything is up for grabs as the new conservatism attacks the rights of workers.
What do you want the public to know about your work and its value to the people living in British Columbia? I firmly believe in the “Nanny State” – that, if we are to have a government, it should be one that looks after people and ensures that they have access to quality health care, housing, transportation, and community recreation. To that, I work with people with mental health issues who have committed crimes. These are people who are often scapegoated as the cause of societal problems, but so few of them have actual agency in their lives. My job is to try and connect them to social agencies that can support them while monitoring their mental health, coordinating care with the doctors, and ensuring that they don't violate any of their conditions. My role is part public safety, part advocate, and part caregiver.

Virginie Fostroy

Local: 407
Job title: Social Worker
Employer worksite: West Kelowna Urgent and Primary Care Centre

Why did you get involved in bargaining this Round: I wanted to be a strong advocate for members living in the North and Interior in bargaining.
What does solidarity during bargaining mean to you: Solidarity is the cornerstone of the entire labour movement, and it means solidarity across all bargaining tables with all workers who are in bargaining.
What would you say to fellow members about getting involved in bargaining: Bargaining is a great way to stay involved with our union. Even if you are not part of the bargaining committee, there will always be ways for you to be involved.
What do you want the public to know about your work and its value to the people living in British Columbia: As a social worker, the frontline work that we do directly contributes to the well-being of all British Columbians.