Community health services and support: bargaining association votes to accept tentative agreement
Last month, health services and support workers represented by HSA voted 91 per cent in favour of rejecting the tentative agreement reached between the bargaining associations lead union, BCGEU, and the provincial government.
However, the BCGEU has announced today that the bargaining association as a whole has voted in favour of the contract. The tallied results indicate 76 per cent of union members represented by the bargaining association voted in favour.
HSA President Reid Johnson said HSA members had good reason to reject the contract, including a proposal to gut Long Term Disability coverage. -This is disappointing for our members; HSA members in this sector will now be covered by a contract that they voted against," he said.
-Our members decision to vote against this contract was principled. Although the new agreement erodes some hard-won rights, the union will continue to enforce the protections and benefits that our members still have. HSAs stewards and labour relations experts will continue working to ensure members enjoy the best possible working conditions."
HSA is a member of the Health Services and Support (Community Subsector) Bargaining Association. Health services and support workers help provide a wide variety of crucial community services, and include autism intervention workers, administrative assistants, child care workers, community advocates and counsellors, therapy assistants, transition house workers, and preschool teachers.