BURNABY—Bargaining for the new Health Science Professional collective agreement, which covers 19,500 workers in B.C. including approximately 1,000 CUPE members, has begun.
On Wednesday (March 2), representatives from the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) sat down with the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) Committee, a team including professional negotiators, labour relations specialists and rank and file union members elected by their peers from around the province.
The bargaining committee is guided by recommendations voted on by members at a bargaining proposal committee meeting held last November, and the front-line members participating on the committee bring direct experience of the challenges facing health science professionals at this time.
Their focus is on the following:
Recruitment: without enough people on the multidisciplinary health care team, the crushing workload just is not sustainable.
Retention: without the right conditions, we can’t hang onto the people we need to deliver consistently excellent service.
Respect: as specialized health care professionals, the contributions health science professionals make must be understood and recognized.
Responsibility: there is no health care without specialized health care professionals. Health science professionals do not carry that burden of responsibility lightly and must be recognized for the role they play on the health care team.
Resilience: health science professionals need support for their physical and mental well-being to be able to go back shift after shift to do what they are trained to do – and passionate about doing.
Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) tabled our proposals last week as we began talks with the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC).
At this point in time, we are pushing to achieve non-monetary priorities that you identified as important measures to address the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector.
The employer has recognized that we share some common goals. They are aware of the dire situation caused by short-staffing and made worse by the pandemic.
We are continuing in-depth discussions this week on scheduling, hours of work, overtime, and mobility of seniority. Once we have dealt with all non-monetary issues, we will move on to wages, benefits and other monetary issues.
Your Community Bargaining Association (CBA) Negotiating Committee held our bargaining conference this week and will begin negotiations on your behalf with the employers in the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC) on February 3, 2022.
More than 21,000 workers in the community health sector from eight different unions across the province, including 1,489 CUPE members, brought forward ideas and proposals for bargaining.
With your input, we finalized our priorities, and we are ready to meet our counterparts and begin negotiating a new collective agreement.
You told us you need a fair deal that will help close the gap in wages and benefits compared to other health care agreements, allow you to better care for your mental health, and give you greater control over your working conditions.
The pandemic has shown the public how badly understaffed we are in the health care sector and highlighted the impact that has on workers and clients. Because of increased public support for our issues, we have a unique opportunity to win the improvements we need to our wages and working conditions in this round of bargaining.
We look forward to representing you at the bargaining table and we will keep you updated throughout negotiations.
In solidarity,
Your Community Bargaining Association Negotiating Committee
BURNABY—CUPE’s Health Care Presidents Council (HCPC) met today to discuss preparations for bargaining, review the existing cost share campaign, approve the strategic plan for 2022, and hold elections.
“We’re currently neck deep in preparations for bargaining for both provincial associations,” said CUPE Health coordinator Tanya Paterson. “Bargaining will be done virtually, and we’ll pass on more information about the process as we receive it.”
Contract talks for the Community Health Bargaining Association will begin on February 3 and continue until March 11 while the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association will be at the table from February 28 through March 11. CUPE Research and Human Rights representatives were invited to the meeting to discuss ways to support the bargaining process.
In Council elections, CUPE 1004’s Tuesday Andrich was acclaimed as the new HCPC chair, while CUPE 1978’s Kazuhiro Takeuchi was acclaimed for another term as treasurer. CUPE 15’s Benita Spindel and CUPE 3403-01’s Shaunah Cairney were acclaimed as trustees with CUPE 1978’s Lindsay Fumalle acclaimed as an alternate trustee. The recording secretary position left vacant and will be reopened at the next meeting of the council.
New video reveals CUPE members’ steadfast dedication despite workload, other challenges
CUPE members in B.C.’s community health sector are dedicated professionals who are committed to caring for the people they serve. But as their lives have become increasingly stressful after nearly two years of working through the COVID-19 pandemic, they need to know that health employers value them and their work.
That’s the chief takeaway from a new video released today, “Caring in a pandemic: Living and working through COVID.” In the video, 16 CUPE members from a diverse range of jobs across the sector share their experiences of life and work since the pandemic began. The interviews followed survey results that showed CUPE members have been experiencing significant mental health impacts as a result of insufficient staffing levels, redeployment, additional and excessive workloads, overtime, and lack of leave coverage, among other issues.
“The member feedback we got from those surveys indicated that there is a strong feeling of being undervalued or even considered disposable, and some of that really comes through in the interviews,” says CUPE Health Coordinator Tanya Paterson.
In the video, the members—who work under contracts for both the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) and the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA)—describe the impacts of excessive workload on their personal lives during the pandemic. They also share some of the coping mechanisms they’ve developed along the way, and—in the lead-up to collective bargaining for both the CBA and the HSPBA—offer solutions to help employers improve the working environment.
“As with other sectors, these interviews reveal just how selfless and dedicated to their work and communities CUPE members have been during the pandemic,” says Paterson. “I am so proud of them—not just for their commitment to the people they serve but also for their courage and willingness to step up and demand better from the health care system.”
Paterson added that provincial bargaining for both the CBA and the HSPBA is expected to commence next month.
CUPE represents approximately 2,200 members in the community health sector across British Columbia. These members provide diagnostic, clinical, inspection, advocacy, home support, counselling, preventative, housing, and harm reduction/safe substance use services.
View the main video here and the short member interviews here.
VANCOUVER—CUPE 1004 peer workers employed by the Portland Hotel Society (PHS) have successfully concluded negotiations that will give them the same rights and privileges as all workers covered by the provincial collective agreement for the Community Health subsector throughout B.C.
The ground-breaking agreement features a significant wage lift along with benefits including extended health, municipal pension plan coverage, protected seniority rights, and provisions for occupational health and safety, vacation, sick leave, and many more.
“People finally have a chance at life while working here in the Downtown Eastside (DTES). We are finally being recognized as human beings,” said bargaining committee member Doug Everitt, an original employee of Insite.
After the peer workers voted to join CUPE 1004 in March 2020, their initial challenge was being formally recognized as employees deserving of the same rights as all B.C. workers, including the right to join a union. The parties were finally able to resolve the application in January 2021 and confirmed that all the workers had voted to join CUPE.
Bargaining committee member Mark Fraser, who has worked for ten years at the Molson Overdose Prevention Site providing frontline overdose response, says the agreement for peers will hopefully lead to more workers with life experience similar to the people they serve and support being recognized. “It’s excellent that we finally have a deal,” he said. “It’s a first step in properly recognizing peers as employees and respecting their lifesaving work during this unprecedented overdose crisis.”
PHS employs about 35 members who are primarily front-line health workers fighting the overdose death crisis at various DTES locations. These include the Insite supervised injection site, overdose prevention sites and the Opiate Agonist Therapies clinic, which provides the safe supply of narcotics so that users need not rely on the poisoned illicit drug supply, which has killed more than 8,500 people in B.C. since April 2016. CUPE 1004 peers at these sites provide overdose response, connection referral for safe supply, treatment, detox services, and opportunities for other DTES residents to join the workforce and help support their neighbours. There have been no deaths at these sites.
Order contains important information for CUPE Community Health members
To all members,
Please find attached a copy of the Order of the Provincial Health Officer, dated October 14, 2021, related to Hospital and Community (Health Care and other services) COVID-19 vaccination status information and preventive measures.
The Order contains important information about who the Order applies to, how the impact of COVID-19 variant development has affected provincial efforts to contain the pandemic, and why a vaccine mandate for all health workers was deemed necessary. The Order, which applies to all CUPE members working in health care, comes into effect on October 26, 2021 and will replace previous requirements.
Under the Order, all health care workers will be required to be fully vaccinated unless they have a medical exemption. No other exemptions will be accepted, and failure to comply with the Order could result in termination.
“The presence of virus variants of concern in the Province, in particular the Delta variant, has not only heightened the risk to the population generally but, more particularly, has significantly heightened the risk to individuals of advanced age, and individuals with chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems,” says Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, adding that the public health care system is under severe stress and stretched beyond its capacity to prevent and respond to illness resulting from COVID-19 transmission.
“Vaccination is safe, very effective, and the single most important preventative measure health professionals…can take to protect patients, residents and clients, and the health and personal care workforce, from infection, severe illness and possible death from COVID-19.”
The Order addresses concerns about individual rights and freedoms. It notes that individual liberty, as defined by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is not absolute but subject to reasonable limits, including “proportionate, precautionary, and evidence-based restrictions to prevent loss of life, serious illness and death, and disruption of our health system and society.”
If you believe you have a case for reconsideration that qualifies you for an exemption, you can submit a request directly to Dr. Bonnie Henry at PHOExemptions@gov.bc.ca with the subject line “Request for Reconsideration about Preventative Measures in Hospital or Community Locations.” For further clarification of the new Order, you can also contact Dr. Henry at:
Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer
4th Floor, 1515 Blanshard Street
PO Box 9648 STN PROV GOVT, Victoria, B.C. V8W 9P4
Email: ProvHlthOffice@gov.bc.ca
In the meantime, your CUPE National Health sector coordinator continues to work with HEABC, the bargaining associations and employers to ensure comprehension and clarity in the Order’s application. Please remember that matters are developing rapidly in response to the Order, and we don’t have all the answers yet. As we learn more, locals will be provided with updates for circulation amongst your memberships.
BURNABY—Thanks to a three-year pilot project, the Joint Community Benefits Trust (JCBT) has enhanced services for employees covered under the JCBT to provide virtual health support for those facing challenges with alcohol and substance use. CUPE community health members working under Community Bargaining Association (CBA) contracts qualify for such support.
As of October 7, the JCBT has approved Special Program Funding for the pilot project, known as the ALAViDA TRAiL program. ALAViDA supports the mental health of health workers covered under the JCBT plan by providing a care team to assist with each member’s unique roadmap for recovery and allowing them to access private support from anywhere on any device. Personal information is not shared with employers, the union, or with JCBT.
Health benefits for CUPE community health members working under CBA contracts are provided by the Joint Community Benefits Trust. This Trust was established on April 1, 2017 to ensure that members receive Extended Health and Dental, Long Term Disability, Group Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits. In 2021, JCBT trustees established the Special Funding Committee to address the Memorandum of Understanding 31. The ALAViDA TRAiL program is funded by the Special Program Funds.
STANDING UP FOR PUBLIC HEALTH—CUPE’s Health Care Presidents Council chair Andrew Ledger and Health Coordinator Tanya Paterson prepare for the online bargaining conference.
BURNABY—More than 60 people attended an online bargaining conference on October 6, with CUPE health workers from the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) and Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), joined by guest speakers and CUPE staff, gathering to set priorities for upcoming rounds of bargaining in the sector.
CUPE 1004 President Andrew Ledger, hosting the conference as chair of CUPE’s Health Care Presidents Council (HCPC), thanked delegates for the valuable public service they provide and all CUPE health workers for their daily efforts in keeping British Columbians healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now more than ever, CUPE health care workers are fired up to enter into collective bargaining,” said Ledger. “During the pandemic and moving forward, it is critically important that our members’ interests are well represented and articulated so that we can make the most gains possible, not only for ourselves but for the public and our health care system in general.”
Supporting our members’ bargaining efforts
Regional Director Ann Lennarson reminded delegates that CUPE’s B.C. region has their back and will provide full staff resources and support throughout the bargaining process. CUPE BC President Karen Ranalletta, noting the history of coordination between the union’s political and servicing operations during bargaining, said the strong relationship between the B.C. Division and CUPE National is an important asset.
While CUPE BC may not have a direct role in bargaining, said Ranalletta, the Division can be helpful when negotiations reach an impasse and issues can’t be resolved at the table. “We have shown we can make a difference in many ways,” she said, “up to and including mobilizing public and political support in the event of a strike or lockout.”
Keynote speakers Audrey Guay and Edith MacHattie of the BC Health Coalition described the role of the Coalition and its relationship with labour in defending public health care. Citing campaigns for primary care reform, critical efforts on behalf of seniors’ care, and the successful court challenge of the private Cambie clinic, Guay and MacHattie stressed the importance of the health care system remaining public—especially during a pandemic. They also addressed COVID-19’s impacts on health care workers, including workload, understaffing, burnout, and mental health. Bargaining for better provisions on issues like paid time off and sick leave, they said, can make a difference for everyone.
“You’re not just fighting for yourselves,” concluded MacHattie. “The public needs you to be healthy and well so that our public system is strong and improving.”
Narrowing down the priorities
The BCGEU’s Richard Tones, representing the CBA, and HSA’s Josef Rieder, representing the HSPBA, described their respective roles at the two association tables. They also outlined priorities shared by their own unions and other constituent unions in the associations. During their presentation, there was a discussion about logistics surrounding the question of whether bargaining will take place virtually or in person.
CUPE Research Representative Carissa Taylor presented the results of a member survey on health sector bargaining priorities. Some of its key findings corresponded with an earlier survey on workload and mental health in the sector. This became a major theme through all the conference discussions: bargaining efforts should focus on improving supports for CUPE members’ mental health, particularly in light of workplace pressures that have been amplified by the pandemic.
Before the break, CUPE Health Coordinator Tanya Paterson reminded delegates of CUPE’s national bargaining policy, which prohibits concessions or two-tiered agreements. Along with priorities established by the two associations, the next rounds will also incorporate national bargaining policy to include proposals related to workplace and domestic violence language improvements, as well as improvements to precarious work and union leave language.
For the afternoon session, delegates separated into breakout rooms for CBA and HSPBA members. As well as setting the top three bargaining priorities for CUPE members in the respective associations, delegates elected CUPE representatives to the two bargaining committees. For CBA negotiations, CUPE’s representatives will be Andy Healey (CUPE 1004) and Liza Taylor (CUPE 15), with Shaunah Cairney (CUPE 3403-01) serving as alternate; for HSPBA negotiations, the representatives will be Jennifer Kassimatis (CUPE 15) and Angela Wheeler (CUPE 1978), with Brian Moore (CUPE 15) serving as alternate.
Preparing for negotiations
In the wake of the conference, bargaining committee representatives will participate in bargaining training, including strategic bargaining plan workshops and job action preparation.
“We’ll be rolling up our sleeves to increase member engagement and solidarity in advance of the bargaining process,” said Paterson. “It’s exciting to be working with such a diverse group, knowing how much their collective experience and knowledge will contribute to CUPE’s strength at the bargaining table.”
CUPE represents more than 2,200 members in B.C.’s community health sector providing diagnostic, clinical, inspection, advocacy, home support, counselling, preventative, housing, and harm reduction/safe substance use services. Their contracts expire on March 31, 2022.
BURNABY—At its quarterly meeting this week, CUPE’s Health Care Presidents Council (HCPC) finalized plans for the upcoming Health Sector Bargaining Conference and held a detailed strategy discussion around a CUPE National cost-share campaign scheduled to begin in earnest in early 2022.
Discussing the bargaining conference (October 6), HCPC members voted to shift from an in-person to a virtual event. Even with current health orders allowing for a hotel-based conference, the presidents cited individual comfort levels and travel issues during the pandemic, unpredictable shifting of health orders, and capacity issues with the hotel as a few reasons an in-person event would not be feasible.
Discussion about the conference proceedings included confirmation of guest speakers from the BC Health Coalition—Labour Co-chair Edith Machattie and Organizer Audrey Guay—and an update on the recently launched bargaining survey for Community Health Bargaining Association and Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association members. Survey results will be presented at the conference for discussion while delegates set priorities for the next round of bargaining. Members have until September 24 to complete the survey.
During the meeting, HCPC members discussed various elements of a cost-shared campaign proposal submitted to CUPE National. The campaign calls for member engagement in building public awareness about their critical work during the pandemic and COVID-19’s impact on their mental health.
Also at the meeting, CUPE 15’s CBA sector representative, Mona Mirzayan, was acclaimed as HCPC recording secretary for the remainder of the term.
