No money offer means no talks in health professionals bargaining

Contract talks between health science professionals and the Health Employers Association of BC deteriorated today when the employer refused to table a wage proposal or to remove concession demands from the table.

"HSA tabled a proposal that offers solutions for the severe shortage of health science professionals in the BC health system almost two weeks ago. The solution is professional pay for professional work. But HEABC refuses to come to the table prepared to talk," said HSA Chief Negotiator Rick Lampshire.

"While HEABC hangs onto outrageous concession demands that would see already overworked health science professionals work more hours, they refuse to talk about what these highly skilled health care professionals need to keep them here in BC."

"With current levels of pay, there is little to keep health science professionals in the health care system. Thats why we tabled a demand for a 30 per cent wage increase over two years," he said.

Lampshire said that the HEABCs refusal to table a wage proposal, coupled with the insulting offer made yesterday to nurses, forced the unions representing 14,000 health science professionals to serve notice that they will not resume talks until after a strike vote being conducted next week.

For more information, contact:
Miriam Sobrino, Director of Communications
(604)439-0994 or 328.2886