November 1, 2012

VANCOUVER – The government announced yesterday through the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC) that bargaining a fair collective agreement for health science professionals – who have been without a contract since April 2012 – is not on the agenda.

The day after the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) tabled a framework agreement that includes a modest wage increase, HEABC returned to the table, explaining its hands are tied by the Ministry of Health, which refuses to apply the government’s cooperative gains mandate for meaningful bargaining at the table.

Yesterday, the Association tabled a framework agreement.

“It is a fair and reasonable proposal and completely in line with the government’s mandate – evidenced by the 3 – and 4 – percent wage increases agreed to in several public sector agreements – including direct government service and nurses,” said CUPE bargaining committee member Chris Losito.

“We have been working for more than seven months on a number of complex issues to try to work cooperatively with the government to address critical shortages in health science professions, and today HEABC delivered the message that while they view the work as productive, they do not have a mandate to bargain with health science professionals,” he said.

Last week, bargaining association representatives took the unusual step of going to Victoria to meet directly with senior Ministry of Health officials to deliver the message directly that health science professionals deserve an equitable and fair agreement and that it’s time for some real bargaining.

Losito says that this clearly shows the lack of interest from the ministry.

The bargaining association will consider next steps and report to members later this week.

CUPE represents approximately 500 members in the HSPBA which has over 17,000 members, the majority of whom are represented by the HSA.  Other Unions at the table are BCGEU, PEA and HEU.

October 31, 2012

VANCOUVER – After more than six months of talks, the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSBPA) today tabled a wage proposal in contract discussions with the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC).

The proposal is for 2 percent wage increases effective April 1, 2012 and April 1, 2013.

“The wage proposal reflects the pattern of wage increases achieved in public sector collective agreements which are rolling in throughout the rest of the public sector. We are satisfied we have put together a fair and reasonable collective agreement package that government must accept,” said CUPE bargaining committee member, Michael McKinley.

CUPE represents approximately 500 members in the bargaining association in which HSA is the lead union. Other unions represented at the table are: BCGEU, HEU, and PEA.

The wage proposal completes the unions’ package of proposals.

Other highlights of the union’s package include the implementation of an employee wellness plan, improved education leave, and proposals related to workload. The wellness plan includes strategies for improving overall health for members, preventing injury, and providing a healthy work/life balance. It ensures health science professionals have the support they need, including an enhanced disability management program that reduces the time lost to illness and injury.

There are still proposals that require further discussion and the Association asked that these be dealt with expeditiously. Those issues include:

• Workload
• Access to education leave
• Anti-bullying and anti-harassment language
• Transportation allowance
• Reimbursement for employee expenses
• Definitions of union stewards

HEABC is scheduled to respond to the proposal tomorrow.

“We have been at this for months. The time has come to get on with it,” McKinley said.

“Our bargaining committee is satisfied we have tabled a framework agreement the employer must take seriously. If we do not get indications from HEABC they are prepared to move toward a settlement, we will have to consider the options our members have to get the government to settle this contract in a timely manner,” he said.

October 10, 2012

VANCOUVER—In the wake of tentative agreements reached in the master provincial government workers’ (BCGEU) and nurses’ bargaining (NBA), the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) return to the bargaining table this week.

The bargaining association is optimistic that the tentative agreements achieved at those two tables signals a willingness by government to return to the health science professionals bargaining table with an appetite to bargain.

Both those tables have achieved tentative agreements under the cooperative gains mandate. And while the nurses’ agreement includes an attack on benefits that the unions cannot support, the direct government service tentative agreement does not. The HSPBA believes it is possible to get to a deal that does not erode benefits, and will take that message to the table.

In addition, a significant win in the continuing dispute regarding the application of interim classification modifications agreed to in the 2010-2012 collective agreement should also help kick-start concerted bargaining at the health science professionals’ table.

Bargaining dates have been set aside for this week and next.

CUPE represents approximately 500 members in the HSPBA which has over 17,000 members, the majority of whom are represented by the HSA.  Other Unions at the table are BCGEU, PEA and HEU.

September 17, 2012

Bargaining for a new Health Science Professionals’ Bargaining Association collective agreement resumed this week against the backdrop of a pessimistic pronouncement by BC’s Minister of Finance, Hon. Mike de Jong, about the state of the province’s finances. Once again, a finance minister is revising predictions that called for a rosy future and sombrely telling British Columbians that the deficit is on the rise, and costs have to be contained.

In the government’s quarterly financial update Thursday, de Jong said the province will be reviewing its current bargaining mandate, which restricts any wage increase in public sector collective agreements to “cooperative gains.” That is, in order to fund any increased costs associated with wages, savings must be found somewhere in the system to pay for the people who deliver the service.

“While we continue to discuss substantive contract issues that affect health science professionals, the bargaining committee will be paying close attention to any developments on the government’s mandate,” said HSPBA’s chief negotiator Jeanne Meyers. “The reality is that health science professionals in British Columbia continue to fall behind the wage standards of their peers across the country. Any move by the government to continue to force them to fall behind spells disaster for the potential to recruit and keep the health science professionals who are integral to the modern health care team here in BC,” she said.

In bargaining this week the HPSBA provided a substantive response to HEABC’s classification proposal.  The proposal would delete the existing system, replacing it with an entirely new system which does not provide guarantees of adequate supervision, clinical direction, or practice leadership – all of which would remain at the discretion of the employer.

While the HPSBA has for years advocated for a substantial overhaul of the classifications system to more accurately reflect the nature of the specialized work of health science professionals, the bargaining committee made it clear that a change to the system does not mean an opportunity for the employer to undervalue the work of members. Our proposal provides for full retroactivity for any upgrades described in the employer’s proposal. The collective agreement expired more than five months ago (March 31, 2012).

In other bargaining developments this week, HEABC negotiators tabled proposals which include:

• A change to the definition of part-time status, which would require a minimum number of hours worked per week of 14.4 hours. This is a concessionary demand. The union successfully negotiated the removal of minimum hours from the definition of part-time in the 1980s. This was to support employees with family responsibilities which may prevent them from working full time, and to support employees with family responsibilities which may prevent them from maintaining full-time positions.
• A return to language which would recognize the principle of seniority as only a tie-breaker in cases of promotion, demotion or transfer.  This is a concessionary demand.
• Elimination of the Final Offer Selection process as a means of dispute resolution where there are challenges to shift schedules. Under the HEABC’s proposal the Employer’s proposed schedule just prevails if employees cannot be persuaded to accept it.

The HSPBA tabled language which would:

• Extend the provisions of Article 18 (parental leave) to adoptive parents and same-sex parents.
• Continue the Professional Development fund on a funding formula of $225,000 per collective agreement year.
• Provide for increased paid union steward time in facilities of greater than 300 FTE.

To date, there has been no substantive response from HEABC on any union proposals with monetary implications nor has the employer provided comprehensive costings on any of its proposals.

The parties are working to establish further meeting dates for bargaining.

CUPE’s representatives at the HSPBA table include Chris Losito, CUPE 15 member, Michael McKinley, CUPE 1978 member and Justin Schmid, CUPE National Representative.

CUPE represents approximately 500 members in the HSPBA which has over 17,000 members, the majority of whom are represented by the HSA.  Other Unions at the table are BCGEU, PEA and HEU.