90% Yes: HSPBA Members stand together for better health care
Posted
December 18, 2025
Specialized health professionals send strong message with strike vote
90.1% of BC's health science professionals have voted in favour of taking job action in support of efforts to negotiate a fair contract.
"Frontline health professionals living and working in communities across BC are standing together," said HSA President Sarah Kooner. "This is a strong message that the government cannot ignore: we're not backing down in our fight for a contract that deals fairly with recruitment and retention so that we can fix BC's public health care system."
"We will be returning to the bargaining table in January with these results in hand. If the employer continues to refuse to engage in serious discussions to meet our priorities, we will be prepared to escalate to job action."
"Let me be clear: our members do not take this lightly. They do not want to take job action, but they are prepared to do so because they care deeply about the future of BC's health care system and the people who depend on it every day."
While other public sector agreements struck in recent months have offered significant funding to tackle recruitment and retention, health science professionals have been offered much less — about $100 million less (when adjusted for membership) — even as workload and burnout are so severe that 1 in 3 health science professionals are thinking of quitting. Even the additional funding offered to other tables would be insufficient to solve the dire problems contributing to delays and gaps in BC’s health care system.
HSA members like you should know that this strong strike vote result does not mean that job action will be starting. The next step in this process is your HSPBA bargaining committee meeting with the employer in mid-January. Please keep an eye on your email inbox for an update in the new year.
Priorities for a fair contract include:
"Frontline health professionals living and working in communities across BC are standing together," said HSA President Sarah Kooner. "This is a strong message that the government cannot ignore: we're not backing down in our fight for a contract that deals fairly with recruitment and retention so that we can fix BC's public health care system."
"We will be returning to the bargaining table in January with these results in hand. If the employer continues to refuse to engage in serious discussions to meet our priorities, we will be prepared to escalate to job action."
"Let me be clear: our members do not take this lightly. They do not want to take job action, but they are prepared to do so because they care deeply about the future of BC's health care system and the people who depend on it every day."
While other public sector agreements struck in recent months have offered significant funding to tackle recruitment and retention, health science professionals have been offered much less — about $100 million less (when adjusted for membership) — even as workload and burnout are so severe that 1 in 3 health science professionals are thinking of quitting. Even the additional funding offered to other tables would be insufficient to solve the dire problems contributing to delays and gaps in BC’s health care system.
HSA members like you should know that this strong strike vote result does not mean that job action will be starting. The next step in this process is your HSPBA bargaining committee meeting with the employer in mid-January. Please keep an eye on your email inbox for an update in the new year.
Priorities for a fair contract include:
- premiums – for regular workers, for evening/night/weekend shifts, for workers in student supervision and preceptor roles, and more
- retention incentives such as an add pay system and improvements to paid time off to reward workers who stay in the public system
- continued reimbursement for professional fees
- correcting outstanding issues with the classifications system
- maintaining our extended health and welfare benefits
- professional development funding for 2026 and beyond
Health science professionals represented by Health Sciences Association, Hospital Employees Union, BC General Employees Union, Professionals Employees Association, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees voted December 4-17.
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