Contract negotiations for BC’s health science professionals get underway this week
Bargaining for a new collective agreement for BC’s 18,000 health science professionals working in hospitals and communities throughout the province gets underway this week as bargaining representatives for the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC) are set to begin contract negotiations tomorrow in Vancouver.
Led by the Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA), which represents the majority of health science professionals in BC, the union negotiators will focus on achieving a collective agreement that helps addressing years of erosion in the health care system.
“We have heard from our members that workload, challenges in recruitment and retention, and recognition of the value of health science professionals on multi-disciplinary health care teams are all important elements in delivering the best services to BC patients, and must be priorities in this round of bargaining,” said HSA president Val Avery.
“Years of erosion in our health care system can’t be fixed overnight, but achieving a contract that addresses those issues and supports improvements to the health care service British Columbians expect and deserve will be a priority at the bargaining table,” she said.
HSPBA represents 18,000 union members, the majority of whom are represented by HSA. Other unions at represented at the bargaining table are CUPE, BCGEU, PEA, and HEU. The current collective agreement expires in March 2019.
For regular bargaining updates, check the HSA website at www.hsabc.org, or follow us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/HSABC, or Twitter account: @hsabc.
It's important for HSA to be able to contact you. Log in on HSA's website at https://hsabc.org/contact/member-contact-update-form to ensure your contact information is up-to-date.
HSA’s representatives to the HSPBA bargaining committee are listed on the following page.
Chief negotiator: Jeanne Meyers
Bargaining Committee members:
- (co-chair) Janice Morrison, HSA Vice President and physiotherapist, Kootenay Lake Hospital
- (co-chair) Mandi Ayers, HSA Board of Directors and lab technologist, Bulkley Valley Hospital
- Candis Johnson, Supported Childcare Consultant, Child Development Centre of Prince George
- Chad Lazaruk, Medical Radiation Technologist, Victoria General Hospital
- Jing-Yi Ng, Pharmacist, Burnaby Hospital
- Kim Pflieger, Cardiology Technologist, Penticton General Hospital
- Kathleen Lee, Dietitian, St. Paul’s Hospital
- Kieran Shoker, Pharmacist, Cancer Centre for the North