Tentative agreement reached between BCNU and Joye Morris Health Services
New proposal includes a wage increase and an improved sick leave plan
BCNU’s bargaining committee is recommending members ratify a new tentative agreement reached yesterday with Joye Morris Health Services Inc. A ratification vote will be held by all Joye Morris facilities on October 25, 2006.
BCNU’s bargaining team met with the employer yesterday to negotiate a new contract that addresses concerns raised by our members about the previously-rejected offer. The new tentative agreement builds on the first offer and includes further improvements to wages and the sick leave plan, which were the top two issues identified by the majority of members in surveys and at information meetings.
Wages have increased from the previous offer of 6 per cent over four years to 8 per cent over four years for all members except RNs and RPNs, whose 14.2 per cent increase over four years provides parity with the BCNU Provincial Collective Agreement.
The other key improvement achieved by the BCNU bargaining team is an enhanced sick leave plan that increases the accumulation of sick leave to 8.75 hours per month for regular full-time employees and provides a starter bank of 50 hours. The plan will be prorated for part-time employees. It will come into effect on the first day of the month following ratification (November 1, 2006).
Each of these new items are in addition to everything that was previously negotiated in the first tentative agreement, including night shift premiums of $3 per hour; weekend premiums of $1.25 per hour; improved education leave; and holiday pay for all hours worked on a statutory holiday. Wages and premiums are retroactive to April 1, 2006. The proposed contract would expire on March 31, 2010.
The tentative agreement will be voted on by the 220 BCNU members employed by Joye Morris Health Services Inc, which has been contracted by the provincial government to provide health care to inmates. The affected BCNU members include registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses, mental health coordinators and screeners, pharmaceutical technicians and clerical staff at Vancouver Jail, Surrey Pre-Trial, Alouette Corrections Centre for Women, Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre, North Fraser Pre-Trial, Fraser Regional Correctional Centre, Nanaimo Regional Correctional Centre, Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, Prince George Regional Correctional Centre and Ford Mountain Correctional Centre.
Details about the time and place of the membership meetings will be provided later this week.
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