Agreement Reached on Long-Service Pay Increases for RPNs
Employers to recognize nurses at 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-year career milestones
Representatives for the Nurses’ Bargaining Association have successfully negotiated a final interpretation of App XX: MOA: Wage Schedule Adjustment with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) intended to pay registered psychiatric nurses based on their years of seniority or relevant nursing experience.
RPNs who have reached 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-year milestones in their career will be recognized with the following additional hourly pay of either $0.50, $1.25, $2.25 or $3.50 that applies in addition to a nurses’ applicable Year 1 to 10 increment step wage rate (together, the “Year 15-30 Add Pay”).
Eligibility for the applicable rate of Year 15-30 Add Pay will be based on Article 13 – Seniority as follows:
- For regular RPNs, achieving at least a 15-, 20-, 25- or 30-year seniority date with their employer, respectively, calculated pursuant to Article 13.01(A); or
- For casual RPNs, achieving at least 29,250, 39,000, 48,750 or 58,500 hours worked with their employer, respectively, calculated pursuant to Article 13.01(B).
- For clarity, seniority date or hours for the purposes of Year 15-30 Add Pay for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who become Registered Nurses (RNs) or Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) will be determined based on the combination of both their LPN and RN/RPN seniority dates or hours, as applicable, under the Nurses’ Provincial Collective Agreement.
Notwithstanding the above, new nurses hired after October 1, 2023, who do not have existing seniority and who are otherwise eligible for employer recognition of relevant nursing experience for the purposes of annual increments as described in Article 52 or Article 11.04(F)(2)(C), will upon the commencement of their employment be eligible to be credited for their relevant nursing experience in the same manner described in Article 52 or Article 11.04(F)(2)(C) for the sole additional purpose of establishing their initial Year 15-30 Add Pay eligibility date or hours, as applicable. Eligibility for Year 15-30 Year Add Pay will thereafter accrue based on the above (e.g. seniority accruals). Year 15-30 Year Add Pay eligibility will be portable in the same manner as, and consistent with, seniority portability.
The additional pay (“Add Pay”) rate applies to all hours worked, including the calculation of overtime, is considered pensionable income, and effective April 1, 2024, will be increased based on future general wage increases.
All collective agreement language will continue to apply in the usual way to Year 1 to 10 increment steps, including promotional and laddering language, however eligible RPNs will retain the seniority based Add Pay rate.
- For example, a, RPN with a seniority date of 26 years may be moved from Level 3, Step 10 to Level 4, Step 7 upon receiving a promotion to provide the minimum $200-dollar increase, but would still retain the Year 25 Add Pay on top of their Level 4, Step 7 wage rate.
The parties agree that the Year 15-30 Add Pay is reflected in the following revised wage grids:
Implementation
Each employer will determine initial eligibility for Year 15-30 Add Pay for all RPNs employed by them as of October 1, 2023, based on each nurse’s seniority date (regular) or seniority hours (casual) as it exists on that date, in accordance with the principles described above.
There will then be a one-time application process available to:
- existing RNs/RPNs who initially joined the NBA as LPNs on or after the first full pay period following May 11, 2016; and
- all existing nurses (RNs/RPNs/LPNs) hired under the Nurses’ Provincial Collective Agreement since October 1, 2013, who at the time of their hire did not have existing seniority and at the time were deemed eligible by the employer for recognition of relevant nursing experience under Article 52 or Article 11.04(F)(2)(C).
The one-time application process will work as follows:
- such nurses may apply to their employer starting October 1, 2023 and by no later than December 31, 2023, for recognition of their previous LPN seniority date or hours, or their relevant nursing experience, as applicable, for the sole purpose of establishing their initial Year 15-30 Add Pay eligibility date or hours;
- for existing RNs/RPNs who initially joined the NBA as LPNs on or after the first full pay period following May 11, 2016, the initial Year 15-30 Add Pay eligibility date or hours, as applicable, will be based on the combination of any recognized previous LPN seniority and the nurse’s existing RN/RPN seniority date or hours (as applicable);
- for all existing nurses (RNs/RPNs/LPNs) hired under the Nurses’ Provincial Collective Agreement since October 1, 2013, who at the time of their hire did not have existing seniority and at the time were deemed eligible by the employer for recognition of relevant nursing experience under Article 52 or Article 11.04(F)(2)(C), the initial Year 15-30 Add Pay eligibility date or hours, as applicable, will be based on the combination of any recognized relevant nursing experience and the nurse’s existing seniority date or hours, (as applicable);
- applications will contain supporting documentation and will be reasonably considered by the employer; and, the employer will make a determination on each application by no later than March 31, 2024.
Appendix W – Re: Full-time Stewards and Steward at-Large positions
- Appendix W - Hours of Work and Remuneration – para. 6 will be amended as follows (additions underlined, deletions struck out):
- “All positions will be paid at Nurse Level 3, Step 1510 of the wage rate grid while occupying the position…”
- Full-Time Stewards, Stewards at Large, and EDMP representatives will be eligible to receive Year 15-30 Add Pay in accordance with this Memorandum of Agreement.
To read the agreement in full, please review the signed document.