CBA members vote to accept collective agreement in community health

Members of the Community Bargaining Association have voted 97 per cent in favour of ratifying a new four-year collective agreement that includes wage increases, protection against contracting out, improved health and safety provisions, and early signing bonuses of up to $4,200. 
 
-Theres a small measure of justice in the settlement, given that workers were forced to accept wage rollbacks in 2004 to protect services and jobs," says Lori Horvat, an HSA representative on the CBA bargaining committee.

The new agreement covers 13,000 front-line workers, and provides wage increases of 11 per cent over four years plus additional adjustments for targeted classifications including schedulers and audiometric technicians. 

The new agreement was reached March 25 after eight weeks of pressure-packed negotiations.

The multi-union ratification process involved 700 members of the Health Sciences Association. A majority of the members covered by the agreement are BCGEU members. Other members of the bargaining association are the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518, Hospital Employees Union, Canadian Union of Public Employees, and the Professional Employees Association.