Public Service Collective Bargaining Update

February 10, 2017

Bargaining for a new collective agreement covering BCNU's public service members has opened with a partial exchange of proposals with the employer

A top priority for these RNs and RPNs is comparability with the Nurses' Bargaining Association (NBA) Provincial Collective Agreement wage grid. The current wage gap restricts the employer's ability to recruit and retain nurses, who deliver psychiatric health care services to children and youth in a variety of settings.

Local members of the bargaining committee are Christine Brisebois (Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre), Lola Backeland (Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services), Arvita Cotter (Burnaby Youth Custody Services), Lisa Isaac (Aboriginal Child and Youth Services, Vancouver Island) and Karen Edwards (Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services, Northern BC). Alternate members for the committee are Traci Houston and Larry Egan.

The bargaining is being led by BCNU Negotiator Laura Anderson and BCNU Special Projects Manager Garnet Zimmerman.

Committee members can be reached at psbargaining2016@bcnu.org. Collective bargaining updates will be shared via home email addresses and BCNU bulletin boards at the worksites. Members should go to the BCNU website and log in to the BCNU Member Portal to ensure their home email address is correct.

Additional bargaining dates have been set for February 22, 28, and March 1, 2017.