HSPBA Bargaining Update: Advancing proposals on central concerns
Since the resumption of negotiations at the end of September, the HSPBA Bargaining Committee has been working to advance measures to address recruitment, retention, shortage and workload issues which drive so many of the serious issues affecting the public health care system, the people who depend on it, and the professionals who keep it running.
The employers remain resistant to covering the final distance to agreement on these matters. However we are pleased to report progress on initiatives addressing Truth and Reconciliation, improving the working lives of Indigenous members, and promoting cultural safety for all specialized health professionals. The discussions are also addressing general safety and wellness concerns.
The Bargaining Committee has also proposed improvements to union representation in the workplaces — by adding more paid stewards — as an important objective.
Cost of living issues remain a central focus of the HSPBA’s Bargaining Committee’s efforts. Recently, two agreements, led by negotiators at the Hospital Employees Union and the BC General Employees Union, were accepted in ratification votes by their respective members. While not achieving the level of gains initially sought, each go much further towards addressing concerns with inflation than any agreement has in well over two decades, and give some sense of current discussions on wage increases.
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