HSPBA

BURNABY  -  April 1, 2017 marked the day that the new Joint Health Science Benefits Trust took over stewardship of members’ health and welfare benefits, including Long Term Disability. The move from an employer-controlled fund to a jointly trusteed fund with equal representation from unions and employers was negotiated in 2014 Health Science Professionals contract bargaining.

While the change was seamless, members may notice a change to employer-issued paystubs. Prior to April 1, 2017 paystubs showed the contribution payment as “LTD.” Starting the first pay period after April 1, paystubs showed the contribution payment as “JBT Benefit Cont.” or “JBT Benefit Contribution.”

The sample paystub below shows the LTD line as no deductions taken in this pay period, but a year-to-date total of $202.03, and the JBT Benefit Cont. deduction of $35.03 in this pay period, with a year-to-date total of $35.03. The deduction is not a new deduction, simply a change in name.
 

Since 2006, members covered by the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) contract have paid 30% of the LTD benefit premium, with the employer paying 70%. The LTD premium amount paid fluctuates slightly based on usage and cost of the plan.

With the transition to the Joint Health Science Benefits Trust (JHSBT), members’ and employers’ interests will be represented by an equal number of HSPBA and HEABC trustees. Once the JHSBT is fully operational, trustees will be looking for opportunities to further enhance and improve health benefits for members.

Instead of a wage adjustment and other financial incentives recommended in a report by the joint Recruitment and Retention Committee, which includes representatives from the employer, HEABC, and the union bargaining association, HSPBA, the only recommendation government authorized is an increase in the number of sonographers to be trained in B.C. While this increase is welcome, it will not produce additional new sonographer grads until at least February 2018, so will not assist with the current crisis. And failure to provide any financial incentives will not assist health authorities to recruit and retain sonographers, including these additional new grads.

Public sector sonographers in B.C. earn significantly less than those working in private clinics or in the public sector in most other provinces. Both union and employer representatives on the Recruitment and Retention Committee agreed in making their recommendations to government that the “Sonographers’ recruitment and retention issue is primarily a wage issue” and that “a labour market adjustment is necessary and appropriate for Sonographers”. Government rejected this joint finding despite the fact that thousands of B.C. patients are waiting for ultrasound procedures because hospitals are unable to hire enough sonographers. In the HSPBA, the Health Sciences Association of BC represents 700 ultrasound technologists working in B.C.’s hospitals.

The joint committee submitted a 105-page paper detailing the crisis caused by shortages of sonographers in the health care system and recommended a number of strategies to recruit and retain sonographers in B.C. hospitals, including:

• A market adjustment for sonographers
• Other financial incentives to help recruit sonographers, such as signing bonuses
• A doubling of training spaces in the BCIT Diagnostic Medical Sonography Diploma program
• The introduction of a fast-track program for cardiac and general sonography

Details of the joint submission can be found here:

Joint HSPBA/HEABC bulletin

Executive Summary

Full Report 

BURNABY – The BC Labour Relations Board (LRB)’s recent decision dismissing raid applications by the BC Nurses (BCN) sends a clear message that predatory organizing tactics will not be tolerated in the health care sector and that the protection of labour relations stability remains a top priority, says CUPE.

In a decision released on April 11, the Board dismissed all seven BC Nurses (BCN) raid applications filed late last year. In the applications, the BCN attempted to carve out two classifications within the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) across a number of health authorities: Psychologists and Psychometrists – Testing Technicians.

In recent years, the BCN successfully raided all 7,000-plus LPNs from HSA, HEU and CUPE in the HSPBA as an exception to the Board’s normal policy against classification-based raids. In the recent case, the BCN sought to expand on that exception, in order to represent a much smaller group made up of Psychologists and Psychometrists who were members of HSA and PEA.

HSA and PEA filed objections to the raids, raising a number of technical and substantive arguments. CUPE, HEU and BCGEU intervened in the case, also opposing the raid applications. In a comprehensive and well-reasoned decision, Vice-Chair Kandola dismissed the BCN’s raid applications as they did not identify units appropriate for representation.

The Vice-Chair did not address all of the objections raised but, after a thorough review, found that she could decide the case based on two primary objections. First, the raid applications constituted partial raids—problematic in the health care sector because “such applications lead to fragmentation of the existing bargaining unit and result in a proliferation of bargaining agents.” Second, the raid applications were classification-specific. Such units, said Kandola, “run afoul of the Board’s well-established appropriateness principles, would lead to the inappropriate proliferation of units within the subsector, and give rise to industrial instability.”

The LRB’s rejection of such raiding tactics is a resounding defeat for the BCN’s predatory raiding activities across the health sector in B.C. With this decision, the Board has stamped out any hope that they might expand on the LPN exception or revisit their established policy against raids that fragment existing units—making this a good decision for labour relations stability in health care.

February 17, 2016

BURNABY – As you know, the grievances and subsequent arbitrations surrounding the transition to the 37.5-hour work week resulted from a failure of the health authorities to follow the consultation process required by the Memorandum of Understanding (Appendix 27 – Re: Transition to 37.5-Hour Work Week. See p. 186 of the Collective Agreement).

Three CUPE locals were involved in this issue. Two of these locals decided to reach a settlement through a mediation/arbitration process with Vince Ready and Corinne Bell. CUPE Local 4816 declined the employer’s settlement offer, which was substantially lower than that offered by Vancouver Coastal Health and Island Health (formerly known as Vancouver Island Health Authority or VIHA).  CUPE 4816 elected to go forward with an arbitrated decision. (See previous updates).

The Island Health agreement affecting members in CUPE Local 1978 was reached on Nov. 17, 2015. The Vancouver Coastal Health agreement affecting members in CUPE Local 15 was reached in principle on June 12 and finalized on Nov. 5. The award for CUPE Local 4816 Fraser Health workers was announced on Dec. 18.  The outcome, which was similar for all three, resulted in 10-12 paid days off to be used by the successful grievors throughout the life of the collective agreement.

The general criteria used to determine which grievors qualified for redress were:

• Members had to have submitted a grievance.
• There had to have been a demonstrable violation of the Process Award (see Part A and Part B).
• Members had to have been in a department that was covered by the Process Award when the grievance was filed, and;
• Members had to have remained in a department covered by the grievances to have the full benefit of the settlement. Grievors who moved departments, either before or after the settlement, may suffer a reduction or elimination of their redress, depending on the particular circumstances.

Please note that each health authority had different earned-days-off policies and practices. The particular details and terms of each settlement or decision, although similar, are specific to the facts of each respective health authority.

The Health Presidents Council would like to thank all the stewards, members, and local officers who diligently pursued these grievances.

Full details of the settlements and award can be seen below.

1)    Island Health VIHA

2)    Vancouver Coastal Health Authority

3)    Fraser Valley Health