The Facilities Bargaining Association and the Health Employers’ Association of BC have reached a tentative five-year agreement under the new Economic Stability Mandate, Finance Minister Michael de Jong announced today.

The Facilities Bargaining Association is comprised of members of the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU), the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

This tentative five-year agreement covers approximately 43,600 unionized employees working in diverse areas of the health sector, including care aides, paramedics, dispatchers, ambulance drivers, cleaners and lab assistants, as well as nursing unit assistants and administrative/support staff.

The government’s Economic Stability Mandate provides public-sector employers with the ability to negotiate longer-term agreements within a fixed fiscal envelope and offers employees an opportunity to participate in the Province’s economic growth. Settlements are expected to be unique between sectors and reflect government’s priorities of having labour stability, affordable service delivery and a balanced budget.

Details of the agreement will be available once the ratification process is complete.

Quotes:

Minister of Finance Michael de Jong -

“This tentative agreement is significant as there are now more than 100,000 employees covered by tentative and ratified agreements negotiated under the Economic Stability Mandate. I want to commend the negotiators from both sides of the table for their efforts.”

“We are seeing considerable progress in reaching longer-term agreements under this mandate, and I encourage employers and unions across the public sector to continue negotiating, because these settlements can be reached.”

Minister of Health Terry Lake -

“The 43,600 health-care workers covered by this tentative agreement play a crucial  role in keeping our health system functioning and this agreement will ensure British Columbians who need medical care receive it in a timely and effective manner in a safe environment.”

Quick Facts:

• The new 2014 Economic Stability Mandate applies to all public-sector employers whose collective agreements expired on or after Dec. 31, 2013.
• If the province’s real GDP growth exceeds forecasts over the terms of these agreements, the agreements provide for the sharing of some benefits of that growth with the public-sector employees who work on behalf of British Columbians and help make that growth possible.
• Under this proposal, employees would receive a conditional, incremental wage increase equal to half of any percentage point gain in real GDP growth above the Economic Forecast Council’s forecast published in the budget.
• For example, if real GDP growth is one percentage point above forecast real GDP growth, then a 0.5% wage increase would result, beyond whatever wage increase had been negotiated in the contract.
• There are ratified agreements in place between the BCGEU and the Public Service, with Community Health, Community Social Services and the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association, and tentative agreements with BCGEU at five colleges in the post-secondary sector.

Learn More:

Updated bargaining information is available at:  http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/psec/

Media Contacts:

Jamie Edwardson
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Finance
250 356-2821

Kristy Anderson
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)