Negotiations to determine the pay, benefits and protections for your next contract have begun. The Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) bargaining committee met with the employer for initial discussions on March 6.

THE NEGOTIATING TEAM

The multi-union bargaining committee team includes professional negotiators and members elected by their colleagues to represent them in the talks. 

Negotiations will be guided by input from the union membership through bargaining proposals submitted by members last fall and prioritized by elected delegates who attended the October bargaining conference.

As you know, the Health Sciences Association is the lead union for the HSPBA collective agreement. Other than BCGEU, representatives from other unions with members covered by the collective agreement also sit on the bargaining committee. Those unions include Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Hospital Employees' Union (HEU), and Professional Employees Association (PEA).

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The current contract expires March 31, and its provisions will be in force until a new contract is negotiated and ratified in a vote that will include all members.

BCGEU will be reporting to members on the progress of negotiations in the coming weeks and months. These updates will be provided by email, so it's important to keep your contact information up to date. To check to see if BCGEU has your current information, visit https://my.bcgeu.ca/signup and please encourage your colleagues to do the same. 

ESSENTIAL SERVICE WORK NEARLY COMPLETE

Negotiations with employers are in full swing for determining essential services levels across health care as required by law. British Columbia's essential services legislation creates a balance between workers' rights to strike, and the need to protect the public from "immediate and serious danger." While bargaining can proceed, essential service levels must be established before any form of job action can be undertaken. When essential service levels are in place, the employers' human resources are reduced, placing pressure on the employer to get back to the bargaining table. A balance is thereby struck, which prevents the chaos of a total withdrawal of service in the health care system, but allows meaningful collective bargaining to take place.

STAY UP TO DATE ON BARGAINING NEWS

In other bargaining news, the BCGEU has developed an information hub for members where significant bargaining updates will be posted. The site has six sections-one for each sector-as well as education materials and profiles of your bargaining committee. For more information about how bargaining works, talk to your steward, or visit the BCGEU bargaining information hub.

In solidarity, 

Your BCGEU HSP Bargaining Committee

Tim Little, Local 404 Bargaining Chairperson 
Matthew Cook, Local 401 
Virginie Fostroy, Local 407 
Michelle McAuley, Staff Representative, Negotiations 

P.S. Check that we have your personal email address here https://my.bcgeu.ca/signup and forward this link to any colleagues not receiving updates. 

UWU/MoveUP