Bargaining Bulletin #2: 2 Tentative Agreements Reached… Are We Getting Raises?
Welcome back, everyone. Things sure have ramped up around campus in the last couple of days. Lots of buzz, lots of activity.
The same is true in terms of public sector bargaining, with two public sector unions reaching tentative agreements in the past week.
On Friday, September 2, the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU), representing about 60,000 workers in hospitals, health clinics, care homes, corporate offices and supply warehouses, announced that it had reached a tentative agreement with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC). In their media release, HEU noted that “This settlement provides for inflation-sensitive wage increases and other compensation improvements that will help keep skilled, experienced workers in health care, and attract new workers to careers in our hospitals and care homes.”
And then on Tuesday, September 6, BCGEU announced that it had reached a tentative agreement with B.C.'s Public Service Agency (PSA), on behalf of 33,000 government service workers, following 2 weeks of job action by BC Liquor Distribution Branch workers.
Both agreements include a three-year term (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025), with annual wage increases of:
- Year 1 (April 1, 2022): $0.25 per hour plus 3.24%
- Year 2 (April 1, 2023): 5.5% - 6.75% increase (based on inflation)
- Year 3 (April 1, 2024): 2% - 3% increase (based on inflation)
Neither agreement has been ratified by members, but assuming that both deals are ratified, and that the government continues its past practice, it is entirely likely that this will become the pattern for all public sector unions in this round of bargaining, and we can expect the same.
Whatever the outcome, we should know more in the coming weeks, and that will at least answer at least one burning question that has been on many of your minds, I’m sure, regarding the outcome of our own contract negotiations: will we see wage increases to help counter the rising cost of living?
In solidarity,
Colleen Bell
VP Bargaining
Links:
- Tentative agreement reached for more than 60,000 health care workers (HEU media release)
- Tentative agreement tackles rising costs, staffing crisis and burnout (HEU media release)
- BCGEU reaches tentative agreement in B.C. public service bargaining (BCGEU news)
- Highlights – Tentative Agreement – 19th Main Agreement (PSA)