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March 31, 2003
HEU offers government alternative to privatizing support services
Support staff pay increases would be put on hold. In return, health authorities would put contracting out, privatization initiatives on hold pending talks.
Pay increase for RNs and RPNs goes ahead as scheduled April 1
The HEU and other unions in the facilities sub-sector are offering the provincial Liberal government an alternative to its plan to contract out and privatize health care support services.
To jump start negotiations, HEU is offering to put pay increases scheduled for support workers April 1 on hold. In return, the health authorities would put their contracting out and privatization initiatives on hold, pending the results of negotiations to achieve cost savings on support staff expenditures.
The proposal does not affect members of BCNU and other unions in the Nurses’ Bargaining Association who will receive the 3.2 per cent cost-of living adjustment as scheduled April 1. BCNU has no plans to open negotiations with the government ahead of the next round of provincial bargaining.
The support staff unions are putting their proposal forward as an alternative to the firing of thousands of skilled, experienced support staff.
HEU says the pay increases the unions are proposing to put on hold are worth $75 million this year. In additional to their scheduled 3.2 per cent cost of living adjustment, support workers were scheduled to receive a 1.2 per cent pay equity increase as well.
BCNU understands why HEU and the other support unions are proposing to put these increases on hold. They are putting the protection of quality health support services for patients, delivered by experienced unionized employees, ahead of their current contract. The alternative would be the firing of thousands of long time support staff members, and their replacement by non-union, low-wage contractors. Experience elsewhere shows that such widespread contracting out would result in deteriorating standards, high staff turnover, and larger workloads for nurses.
BCNU hopes the provincial government gets negotiations with HEU going quickly, so the uncertainties and upset confronting health care support staff are resolved.
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