HEALTH CARE BARGAINING STARTS EARLY

In a surprise move, the provincial government has asked the Union’s Health care Sector to open talks for a new collective agreement earlier than planned. Health Care Bargaining Committee (Dec. 14, 2009):: L-R Donna Tremblay (Union Representative), Teresa Cairns (Director, UFCW 1518 Health Care Sector), Eleanor Smith (Penticton Home Support), Terry Archibald (Prince George Home Support), and Laura-Mae Sweet (Cowichan Home Support).The government, and various agencies providing health care services to communities across the province represented by the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), called on the bargaining council of community health care Unions to start negotiations in early December.

Those talks began today in Vancouver.

“It is pretty clear that the government was just waiting for the last of the Unions to set its bargaining proposals before they asked for an early start to negotiations,” says UFCW Local 1518 President Ivan Limpright. “Our Health Care members were ready to bargain over a month ago, after their bargaining conference, where they finalized proposals for the bargaining table,” he said.

Limpright cautioned that moving the schedule up really meant nothing significant, and reading anything into the move would not be wise.

“There have been a number of reasons speculating why the government wanted to begin the talks early, but such speculation is meaningless,” he said. “The only practical effect is that it simply gives our members the opportunity to reach a new agreement earlier, and that could take a lot of stress and worry off everyone”.

Members in the Community Health Care Sector can expect bargaining updates direct to their personal emails (provided the member has given the Union their email address – to do so, send your e-mail address to webcontact@ufcw1518.com). Updates will be provided, whenever news from UFCW 1518’s negotiators at the bargaining table is available.

At the bargaining table today on behalf of UFCW 1518 members were Eleanor Smith (Penticton Home Support), Terry Archibald (Prince George Home Support), Laura-Mae Sweet (Cowichan Home Support), Donna Tremblay (Union Representative), and Teresa Cairns (Director, UFCW 1518 Health Care Sector).