The Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) resumed talks last week with the Health Employers' Association of BC (HEABC). Discussions are scheduled to continue next week.

Negotiations are currently focussed on non-monetary matters, but during the last round of talks ending April 14, HSPBA proposed wage increases needed to make meaningful improvements to professional shortages, workload, the rising cost of living and the wage gap with other provinces. The proposal seeks a two year agreement with a wage increase of 5 per cent – or COLA (cost of living adjustment), whichever is greater – in each of the two years.

HSPBA has also proposed a number of other measures which would bring greater equality to job classifications across different health science professions in BC and greater comparability to pay in other provinces, improve on call and call-backs, improve overtime pay and shift premiums, provide more funding for professional development, improve vacation and holiday leave, paid and unpaid pandemic leave, and provide a bank of paid time for gender affirming surgeries.

We expect HEABC to provide a response to the wage proposal during this round, and will provide an update at that time.

In solidarity,
 

Your Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association

UWU/MoveUP