VANCOUVER—After more than nine months of bargaining, a tentative agreement was reached on December 22, 2010 between the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association and Health Employers’ Association of BC.

Health science professionals are members of the modern health care team who deliver clinical, diagnostic and rehabilitation services in hospitals and communities throughout the province.

This agreement was negotiated under the B.C.

DELTA—After ten months of bargaining, CUPE 454 members at the Delta Museum and Archives, a society that relies solely on grants and donations for operating costs, have a new collective agreement that includes wage increases and benefit improvements.

“The agreement came about in part by the hard work of the bargaining committee and their ability to think on the fly and think critically,” says bargaining committee member and 454 executive member Jordana Kerry.

FERNIE—Fernie’s Heritage Library Board’s application for mediation denies the six women who provide public services the right to collectively bargain, says CUPE National Representative Keith Nielson.

“The Board has brought in a consultant from the Coast,” says Nielson.

Talks between the unions representing BC's community social services workers and the employers association have broken off a little more than a week away from Christmas. The employers seem intent on playing the role of Grinch.

The lost year

Negotiations have dragged on for over 13 months.

KAMLOOPS—CUPE 900 members ratified a three-year agreement with the City of Kamloops on Monday. The agreement includes two percent increases in each year as well as improvements to dental benefits. Contract language was also clarified and updated.

“The City of Kamloops has very good workers and with this agreement we’ll continue to provide excellent services to residents of Kamloops,” says CUPE 900 president Gayle Nelson.

Nelson has received a lot of feedback from members who are pleased with the agreement.

VANCOUVER–The Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association continues to meet with the Health Employers Association of BC to negotiate a new collective agreement.

Two weeks ago, the union association served notice to the employer that a concessionary package is completely unacceptable to health science professionals.

Discussions have continued and the unions are optimistic that HEABC and the government have received the message that the contribution of health science professionals delivering modern health care in the public health care system must not be discounted.

VANCOUVER—After eight months of bargaining for a new collective agreement, the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) last week finished tabling proposals amounting to significant concessions for the province’s health science professionals’ collective agreement.

Chief Negotiator for the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) Maureen Headley said the package tabled is an insult to HSA and other union members covered by the contract.

“For the past several months, we have been working on developing and presenting proposals that address some of the most

BURNABY-The College and Institute Support Staff Bargaining Association (CISSBA) announced today that provincial template-table bargaining has been cancelled by the Post Secondary Employers’ Association (PSEA).

The PSEA confirmed on October 30 that it would not be attending bargaining sessions scheduled for November 2-5.

Last Thursday marked the one year anniversary of the commencement of negotiations for new collective agreements in the community social services sector. Bargaining resumed this week after the employers took a five week break.

Your union bargaining committee was optimistic at the start of the week as a number of very minor issues were agreed to.

As community social services negotiations are set to resume this week, the employer association has finally responded to a request to discuss essential services. Your unions asked for preliminary discussions in late September after the first negotiating session in nearly three months ended with no progress. The BC Liberal provincial government's Community Social Services Employers' Association (CSSEA) failed to respond to two letters from the union bargaining association until a day after a set deadline. The unions have now filed the request with the BC Labour Relations Board.