HEABC refuses to bargain; HSA to announce strategy Thursday morning

The Liberal government set up health science professionals contract negotiations to fail, Health Sciences Association President Cindy Stewart charged today.

After a meeting with government-appointed mediator Stephen Kelleher today, the unions representing 14,000 health science professionals said the government-ordered cooling-off period has failed.

"We headed into mediation seeking a 27 per cent wage increase over two years for health science professionals. We have made significant moves to get to a fair collective agreement. Today, the Health Employers' Association of BC refused to talk about a revised proposal which seeks eight per cent wage increases in each of the next three years for health science professionals," Stewart said.

Instead, the employer is adamant about dividing the union by offering wage increases of 5.5 per cent over three years for some health science professionals, and 14.5 per cent for others.

"Our bargaining association will not accept a wage structure that rewards some professionals more than others. The fact is acute shortages are here or coming in all the health science professions," Stewart said.

"When the Liberal government ordered an end to our June strike and a return to the bargaining table, they knew the solution was professional pay for professional work. They set up this legislation knowing it would fail because they refuse to make a commitment to the most important element in the province's health care system - the people who care for British Columbians," she said.

The Health Sciences Association board of directors meets today to consider the options it has to continue to pursue a fair contract in the face of a legislated freeze on meaningful negotiations.

HSA President Cindy Stewart will announce the union strategy at 11 a.m. tomorrow at a news conference at the HSA office, 3rd floor - 5118 Joyce Street in Vancouver.

For more information, contact:
Miriam Sobrino, Director of Communications
(604)439-0994 or 328-2886