Transition agreement covers transfer of nurses from the Public Service to the Health Sector

BCNU and the Union of Psychiatric Nurses have reached a transition agreement with the Health Employers' Association of BC to govern the transfer of nurses from the Public Service to the provincial Health Sector.

Under the transition, wages for nurses at the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission and Oak Bay Lodge Continuing Care Society will increase to match those in the Nurses' Bargaining Association collective agreement, the new contract for the affected nurses.

There are other gains, including increased job security because nurses will retain their seniority and become eligible to bid on all job postings throughout the Health Sector. They will gain bargaining strength by joining a unit representing the vast majority of nurses in the province.

At the same time, other measures may not be as favourable, but the unions have worked hard to reduce any negative impacts. For example, while nurses will be losing access to STIIP and moving to sick banks under the NBA Collective Agreement, current sick leave banks will be "seeded" with 10 sick days per year of service up to the maximum allowable.

Other highlights of the agreement include:

• The transition is effective June 1, 2013.
• Employees can remain in the Public Service Pension Plan (subject to the approval of the plan's Board of Trustees), or choose to be enrolled in the Health Sector Collective Agreement Pension Plan (Municipal Pension Plan).
• Hours of work increase to 37.5 hours from 35 hours/week. Employees working a 5-day week will maintain current hours but will no longer accumulate surplus days off. Employees working a 4:2 rotation will work an extra 10 minutes a day and no longer accumulate surplus time off. Employees working a nine-day fortnight will have their shift length increased by 33 minutes.
• Classifications remain unclear - specific employee classifications will be determined by the NBA collective agreement classification system, which is significantly different from the Public Service system.
• Retained rights - employees will be recognized as having in-service status with the Public Service until May 31, 2015 for the sole purpose of applying for regular Public Service positions.

Nurses at Broadmead Lodge will remain under the Public Service collective agreement until the facility becomes an independent entity with an independent collective agreement next year.

Meanwhile, an arbitrator will decide on a UPN grievance that employees have the right to layoff and severance pay because of a change in employers. The government denies it is a change of employer. The decision will apply to all affected nurses.

The transition agreement and a comparison of the NBA and Public Service contracts are available on the BCNU website.

If you have questions please contact BCNU Labour Relations Officers Dale Warner dwarner@bcnu.org or Laura Anderson landerson@bcnu.org.