CUPE Health members Workload & Bargaining survey: Deadline extended to January 16

BURNABY – Thanks to all CUPE members in both the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association and Community Bargaining Association who completed the workload and bargaining survey. To date we have received responses from more than a quarter of the membership, with a lot of information that will better prepare us for bargaining.

For those interested who were not able to complete the survey by December 19, there’s still a chance to participate: the deadline has been extended to January 16.

You can complete the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CUPEhealth

Thanks again for taking part. Your participation is very important, as this survey will help us collect the evidence we need to successfully fight for improvements that reflect your priorities.
 

CUPE Health Members’ workload and bargaining survey now open

BURNABY – With the HSPBA and CBA collective agreements expiring on March 31, 2019, the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) has expressed interest in commencing bargaining in 2018. To collect input and the evidence needed to successfully fight for improvements that reflect members’ priorities, CUPE’s Health Care Presidents’ Council is conducting a workload and bargaining survey.

The results of this survey will form the basis of CUPE’s proposals and will be subject to amendments, additions and final approval by the membership at the Health Sector Bargaining Convention to be held early in 2018.

CUPE’s health care locals in B.C. have heard that workload is a very important concern for CUPE health members leading up to this round of bargaining. A significant amount of this survey is dedicated to finding out more about the workload issues you are experiencing, and collecting data to demonstrate the importance of workload as an issue.

Responses to the bargaining and workload survey will be confidential.
Additionally, any contact information you provided will be separated from the responses received.

CUPE members from the CBA and HSPBA are asked to complete this important survey by December 19th.

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CUPEhealth
 

Economic Stability Dividend and general wage increases set for February

The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) and Health Science Professionals’ Bargaining Association (HSPBA) have been notified that the next Economic Stability Dividend (ESD) increase will be 0.4 per cent.  This increase will be added to a 1.0 per cent general wage increase the first pay period following February 1, 2018, resulting in a total wage increase of 1.4 per cent at that time.

As a reminder, the ESD is calculated based on 50 per cent of the positive difference between the Economic Forecast Council (EFC) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast and the data released by Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada recently reported that the B.C. economy grew by 3.5 per cent in 2016, exceeding the forecast provided by the EFC of 2.7 per cent.

The difference of 0.8 per cent translates into an increase of 0.4 per cent for unionized provincial public sector employees who have reached agreements under the Government’s Economic Stability Mandate for collective bargaining, which includes the CBA and HSPBA.  The dividend is cumulative and is in addition to the general wage increases contained in the Collective Agreements.

The increase of 0.4 per cent ESD plus the scheduled 1.0 per cent general wage increase will be applied to the current salary grids.  Once applied, those grids will be revised and posted for our members so that you are able to easily view the accurate wages.

CUPE welcomes new health authority board appointments

Today’s announcement by the BC NDP Government that four new chairs and 11 new members have been appointed to provincial health authorities’ boards of directors is an encouraging development for health care in British Columbia.

Dr. Doug Cochrane, Leah Hollins, Colleen Nyce and former BC Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair have been appointed as new board chairs for Interior Health, Island Health, Northern Health and Fraser Health, respectively. They join Tim Manning of Provincial Health Services Authority and Kip Woodward of Vancouver Coastal Health as board chairs of British Columbia’s six health authorities.

“The new and existing board chairs share a long history of public service, community work, and experience in the private sector, labour, health care and research,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a government release. “Our goal as a government is to provide leadership for a strong, innovative and responsive public health-care system, and we are confident that these appointments will support this goal.”

In addition to the new board chairs, Willie Charlie and Opreet Kang have been named as board members for Fraser Health; Selena Lawrie and Cindy Stewart have been named board members for Interior Health; Ron Mattson has been named as a board member for Island Health; Frank Everitt has been named as a board member for Northern Health; Sherry Ogasawara and Gary Pooni have been named as board members for Provincial Health Services Authority; and Wendy Au, Dr. Margaret McGregor and Vi Nguyen have been named as board members for Vancouver Coastal Health.

For the full release, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017HLTH0098-001619

Notice to Pacific Blue Cross members

As you know, members of CUPE Local 1816 have been involved in a lengthy labour dispute with Pacific Blue Cross over the company’s decision to claw back retiree benefits for current employees. PBC has refused to withdraw this serious concession and will not attend the bargaining table unless the union concedes it.

 

Since July 7, these workers have been locked out by the company. During this period, all benefit claims for PBC members have been processed by non-union exempt employees of Pacific Blue Cross.

 

Members looking for ways to support CUPE 1816 are being asked to forgo using online services of Pacific Blue Cross and instead submit their claims by paper only via postal service. While this may result in payment delays, it is the Local’s belief that this action will hasten a resolution to the labour dispute and a return to normal service levels.

 

You can also send a message to PBC by visiting www.PBCproblems.ca

 

CUPE 1816 wishes to thank PBC members who have shown their support in various ways, including attendance at the picket line.

Notice to Pacific Blue Cross members

Since July 7, these workers have been locked out by the company. During this period, all the benefit claims for PBC members have been processed by non-union exempt employees of Pacific Blue Cross.

Members looking for ways to support CUPE 1816 are being asked to forgo using online services of Pacific Blue Cross and instead submit their claims by paper only via postal service. While this may result in payment delays, it is the Local’s belief that this action will hasten a resolution to the labour dispute and a return to normal service levels.

CUPE 1816 wishes to thank PBC members who have shown their support in various ways, including attendance at the picket line.

EDMP Update for October 3-24, 2017

Please note that from October 3-24, 2017, Darlene Alldred will be backfilling Benita Spindel as the EDMP Representative.  Should you require EDMP assistance during this period, please contact Darlene at:

 

Email: cupepea2.edmp@outlook.com

Telephone: 250-508-0968

 

It is expected that Benita Spindel will be resuming these responsibilities on October 24, 2017.  Benita’s contact information will continue to be email: cupepea.edmp@outlook.com and telephone: 250-508-0968.

Update to members on health and welfare benefits

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.

Gov’t rejects joint call by unions and employers for competitive wage for sonographers

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 

CUPE – Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Update on Comparability Increases

To:     All CUPE Members, CBA

The CBA represents more than 15,000 members, the majority of whom are BCGEU members. CUPE represents approximately 550 members in this sector in CUPE Locals; 15, 4816, 3403, 3495. The other unions represented are UFCW, HEU, HSA and USW.

Section 4 of the MOA established the comparability increases in the current collective agreement and gives approximately 80% of the FTEs (full time equivalents) in the Community Subsector comparability increases of 1% on April 1, 2016, 0.5% on April 1, 2017 and 0.5% on April 1, 2018. These increases will narrow the gap between Community and Facilities jobs doing the same or similar work, and which have comparable benchmarks.

We are pleased to confirm the process has now been completed and although it was not completed in time for the April 1, 2016 implementation date, the increases will be retroactive to April 1, 2016.

Wage increases for eligible employees will increase starting the first pay period after the following dates and at the respective rates:

  • 1.0%     April 1, 2016
  • 0.5%     April 1, 2017
  • 0.5%     April 1, 2018

The parties could not agree on the list of eligible classifications and went to arbitration. On June 17,2016 Arbitrator Vincent Ready delivered his Decision giving the comparability increases to the following eligible classifications:

Classification:

  • Administrative Support 3
  • Activity Worker
  • Administrative Support 4
  • Community Health Worker 2
  • Resident Care Aide
  • Support Worker 1
  • Scheduler 1
  • Scheduler 2
  • Support Worker 2

The new wage rates, including the 0.5% general wage increase and 1.0% Comparability increase as of the first pay period after April 1, 2016 are as follows:

Old Grid

New Grid

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

5

5A

$17.68

$18.31

$18.90

$19.52

8

8A

$19.52

$20.12

$20.74

$21.34

9

9A

$20.41

$21.01

$21.64

$22.24

10

10A

$21.34

$21.94

$22.56

$23.15
 

The new wage grid showing the Comparability increases.

FAQ:

When will I get my increase?

You should receive your raise and retroactive payment within the next two pay periods.

How do I know if my job is included in one of the eligible classifications?

Check your job description. The classifications are the benchmarks contained in the Community Health Job Evaluation Plan. Each Employer develops job descriptions for the positions they need and matches the job descriptions to a classification (benchmark). There may be many different job descriptions matched to the same classification and each job description should show the classification it is matched to.

What if I have changed classifications and no longer work in one of the eligible classifications?

If you were in an eligible classification on April 1, 2016 and subsequently moved to a classification that is not eligible, you will receive payment for the hours you worked in the eligible classification from April 1, 2016 until the last day you worked under that classification.

What if I started working in an eligible classification after April 1, 2016?

You will receive the increase and retroactive payment back to your first day in the eligible classification.

What if I am red-circled and work in an eligible classification?

Red-circled employees who work in an eligible classification will receive the comparability increases and retroactive payment the same as other eligible employees. Your wage rate will not appear on the grid above. The increase will be 1% of your current rate of pay.

For more information, please see:

http://bcchs.cupe.ca/cba-updates/support-worker-2s-qualify-comparability

http://bcchs.cupe.ca/www/cba-updates/cba-update-comparability-increases

http://bcchs.cupe.ca/www/cba-updates/comparability-increases-call