HSPBA Negotiates Improved Wages for Cancer Care Specialists
HSA’s radiation therapists and radiation therapy service technologists will see an additional increase in wages when the April 1, 2023 wage increases are applied.
Last month, Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix released the 10-year Cancer Care Action Plan to take concrete steps to improve cancer care in British Columbia. One of the top priorities is to invest in recruitment and retention of members of the cancer care team.
With the announcement of the plan, HSA immediately got involved in discussions about the need to continue to provide competitive wages for members of the cancer care treatment team.
The result of those negotiations is a signed agreement that improves on the wage rates recently negotiated for 2022 – 2025 under the HSPBA collective agreement.
HSPBA’s lead negotiator Jeanne Meyers welcomes the increases.
“We know that improving BC’s success rate in retaining and recruiting the specialized health professionals British Columbians count on for their health means being able to offer competitive wages. These significant increases are recognition of what we have been saying at the bargaining table, in our budget submissions, and at government meetings: it takes fair compensation, support for education, and recognition of the whole health care team to succeed.”
“We will continue to advocate at all levels to continue to see improvements for our members and the patients they care for,” Meyers said.
Under the memorandum of understanding finalized last week, Radiation Therapists and Radiation Therapy Service Technologists will see a four-grid lift on April 1, 2023 – instead of the one-grid lift recently negotiated at the bargaining table. The improvements to the wage rates effective April 1, 2023 are approximately 16 per cent for all radiation therapists and radiation therapy service technologists.