The multi-union Community Health Services and Support Bargaining Association has reached a tentative collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC).

The two-year proposed agreement covers more than 14,000 workers in community health, and comes after one year of difficult negotiations. The agreement achieves members' key priorities including an across-the-board wage increase while protecting health and welfare benefits. Highlights include:

In 2005, David Bland -- a vocationalrehabilitation counsellor and HSA member from Richmond Mental Health -- wasmurdered at his workplace by a former client.  His tragic death served asa sombre reminder that more needs to be done to prevent incidents of violencein the workplace and to protect health care and social services workers on thejob. 

Bargaining for the Community Health Services and Support sector reconvenes on Monday, January 7 in Vancouver following a break over the holidays.

Members in the sector have been in bargaining for a year. There will be no job action this week, but if an agreement cannot be reached by the end of next week, rotating strike action will recommence starting as early as January 14. Workers will be contacted through their stewards or union office if their workplace is a target for job action. Watch the website for details, and sign up at hsabc.org to get news updates.

In spite of an agreement reached between HSA and other health care unions and the Ministry of Health last week, some members continue to get pressure to either produce evidence of vaccination against seasonal influenza, or wear a mask during the flu season, which was declared open December 1.

For members information, at the meeting held between the Ministry of Health, HSA, BCGEU and HEU November 30, the following agreement was reached:

While the policy remains on the books the mandatory provisions of it will not be enforced. This means:

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4

IN AN IDEAL WORLD, STRIKES WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY.

Employees and employers would meet at the bargaining table, discuss bargaining proposals based upon reason, justice and mutual respect. They would use objective data and negotiate a settlement. In reality, that is often what happens. However, sometimes there are significantly different points of view about what is -reasonable," -just" and -objective." When that happens, settlements depend on strength and determination.

PROTECTING OUR PATIENTS

On the eve of the implementation of a new province-wide policy that threatened to fire health science professionals who refused to declare whether they had been vaccinated against seasonal flu, Health Sciences Association  has negotiated an agreement that sees the government back off on the policys punitive aspects.

The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) reviewed the employer's latest offer.  Although a wage increase is included in the offer, it is tied securely to a corresponding "offset" (cost savings) from the collective agreement.  The offset is matched by the employer to provide the wage increase.  There is no guarantee built into the proposal that the wage increase will not be eroded in the future by increases to the cost of the provisions where the 'savings' were proposed.

The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) has reviewed the employer's latest offer and has determined that there is no reason to return to the bargaining table at this time.

The Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) continues to hold the position that an increase in wages must be accompanied by an offset found within the collective agreement.