Job security front and centre as bargaining resumes in Facilities subsector

Unions representing more than 40,000 health care workers in B.C. hospitals and long-term care facilities made job security and expanded employment opportunities their main focus as bargaining resumed for a new collective agreement with health employers on January 6.

Negotiations between the 10-member Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) - representing health unions including the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union - and the Health Employers Association of B.C. (HEABC) continued through the weekend. The parties commenced negotiations in mid-December.

The FBA unions have identified job security and protection of benefits as key objectives for this round of bargaining.

"The FBA tabled a number of proposals this past week that will ensure the public's investment in skilled and experienced health care staff is protected in the future," says Bobbi Pettett, chair of the BCGEU bargaining committee in facilities bargaining.

"Now we're hoping that employers will work with us to come up with solutions and settle on an agreement that creates stability in the health care sector."