HSPBA Negotiations Update: Second round of talks complete
The bargaining committee for Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) contract members has wrapped up three days of negotiations with the employer running April 22-25. This is the second round of talks with the employer.
Negotiations first began in March, and at this early stage, talks are focusing on non-monetary priority areas and we are making progress. More substantive subjects like pay and benefits are usually tackled near the end of the negotiating process, which can take many months, and in extraordinary circumstances, longer than a year.
Given that the British Columbia government’s current budget deficit is projected to be nearly $14 billion dollars, and the economic uncertainty caused by the global trade war, we expect the negotiations to proceed slowly in the coming months. The committee is working to achieve a deal as soon as possible, and resolute in our determination to secure terms that recognize the value of your work.
The next round of negotiation meetings are scheduled for May 23-25. We will provide the next update at that time.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS
Who is leading the negotiations?
The bargaining committee team includes professional negotiators, labour relations specialists, members of HSA’s Board of Directors and members elected by their colleagues to represent them in the talks. The committee is chaired by Brooke Carter, Director for Region 2, and Jing-Yi Ng, Director for Region 3. Members elected to the committee are:
Mandi Ayers (Northern Health Authority)
Kyle Collins (Island Health Authority)
Doug Herasymuik (Affiliated Employers)
Gita Joshi (Vancouver Coastal Health Authority)
Kirn Sanghera (Providence Health Care)
Keiran Shoker (Provincial Health Services Authority)
Jason Tan (Fraser Health Authority)
Tiger Ye (Interior Health Authority)
What are the bargaining committee’s priorities?
Negotiations are guided by input from the union membership. Last fall, members across all professions and regions submitted over 1300 specific bargaining proposals, and these were carefully prioritized by elected delegates attending the November 2024 bargaining proposals conference. These priorities, along with proposals from the other HSPBA constituent unions, are guiding your elected bargaining committee.
Where can I find details about the exact proposals we are tabling and more specifics about how negotiations are going?
By necessity, the details of negotiations must be treated as confidential. The bargaining committee will share as much information as possible through regular bulletins that outline the general developments at the bargaining table.
More resources: