NBA Bargaining Begins on October 21

The countdown is on – the NBA provincial bargaining committee will sit down with employer reps to officially begin negotiations on October 21 in Victoria.

After months of member engagement through worksite visits and member emails, the committee enters this round with a clear mandate from nurses across BC. The five key priorities that will anchor the NBA’s position at the table are:
 

1. Benefits
2. Wages
3. Retention bonus
4. OT double time
5. Ratios compliance

This round of bargaining opens amid heightened concerns about workplace violence in health care. HSA will continue to draw attention to the urgent need for safer working conditions and press health employers to take meaningful action.

Have Your Say: New Benefits Survey Launched

Members have made it clear: benefits are the top priority. Now, the NBA provincial bargaining committee is seeking more detailed feedback to ensure their proposals reflect your real needs and experiences related to your benefits. Share your thoughts on the link shared via email.

Your input will direct strategy as we enter collective bargaining with the employer on Oct. 21.

Meeting with Labour Arbitrator Vince Ready on Friday, Oct. 10

For more than a decade, health employers have stated that benefit costs represent a growing share of compensation. This position has been raised repeatedly at the bargaining table and led to the introduction of Appendix U.1 – negotiated in the 2019-2022 collective agreement – which outlines two possible approaches to contain rising benefits costs: creating an enhanced flex benefit account or capping the massage therapy reimbursement.

During the 2022-2025 round of bargaining, the parties agreed to extend the date to implement one of these two options to Jan. 1, 2026 (Appendix U.2).

The employer has since provided notice to the NBA that they are seeking to enforce the Jan. 1, 2026 deadline. The first arbitration date took place on Oct. 10, with more dates to follow. The purpose of the meeting with arbitrator Vince Ready was to review the current obligations set out in Appendix U.1.

With bargaining set to begin on Oct. 21, the NBA is opposing the application and taking the position that this issue belongs at the bargaining table where it was first negotiated.

Keep in contact with HSA

Thanks to those of you who have provided bargaining input to us. We encourage you to continue to share your thoughts, questions, and comments to info@hsabc.org. HSA wants to hear from you!

If you haven't already, we highly encourage you to update your contact information to ensure you're up to date on contract negotiations.