Key Provincial Contract Provisions Now in Effect

BCNU members covered by the 2019-2022 Nurses? Bargaining Association collective agreement will receive a wage increase and be eligible for a new premium and leave effective April 1.

Under the terms of Article 63 (Wage Schedules), wage rates for all employees will increase by 2.0% starting the first pay period after April 1. The hourly wage grid of LPNs has also been adjusted to provide additional compensation and retention payments of up to $487.50 per year based on the number of hours worked.

Article 28.04 (Working Short Premium) grants eligible members additional compensation. In a joint statement issued by BCNU and HEABC, both parties agree that all nurses working for a health authority or Providence Health Care who provide direct patient care will be paid the working short premium for the month of April for every straight time hour worked as per the collective agreement. The premium will be paid without the need to fill out any kind of form or assessment tool.

Article 43.02 (Personal Leave) now grants members 7.5 personal leave hours per calendar year. This leave was negotiated to acknowledge the realities of the lives of working nurses. While the working short premium is paid to all nurses providing direct patient care (excluding those working at affiliate sites), personal leave will be subject to operational requirements for the duration of the pandemic and cannot be attached to other leaves of absence, including vacation and paid statutory holidays.

Please contact your steward for more information. Visit the BCNU Member Portal to find the contact information of the steward at your worksite.