CBA Bargaining Update: Talks Resume September 22

After a pause in negotiations, the CBA bargaining committee will return to the table with the employer for three days next week starting September 22. Two more days are scheduled for the week of September 29, with further talks planned for the weeks of October 13 and 20. 

Since March, your representative on the bargaining committee — alongside delegates from six other constituent unions — has spent 16 days in bargaining with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC). Despite exchanging full non-monetary proposals, progress has been limited to minor administrative updates. Out of frustration with a lack of meaningful progress, we cancelled our remaining July bargaining dates.

Next week, we will remind the employer that any path to a tentative agreement must include a monetary offer that meaningfully addresses the affordability crisis facing public sector workers. 

BCGEU and PEA members in the public service have already been on strike for three weeks, fighting for exactly this. The government's below-inflation wage offer to them — 3.5% over two years — falls far short of the 4.9% inflation projected in BC over the same period. Public service workers are standing firm until they’re offered a deal that reflects the real cost of living. 

Community health workers, and all workers across the public sector, need fair wage increases to stay in their jobs and continue delivering the critical services British Columbians rely on. We will update you again next week on our progress. 

In solidarity, 
Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee