VANCOUVER—Health science professionals have voted 83 percent in favour of accepting a new contract that includes wage increases totaling three percent, and protects the wages of hospital pharmacists who were threatened with wage rollbacks of up to 14 percent. The agreement was reached between the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC.)
The agreement includes wage increases totaling three percent, and makes permanent a market adjustment of between 9 and 14 percent for pharmacists.
The agreement brings a return to a 37.5 hour work week for health science professionals, includes a modified Pharmacare tie-in with full implementation delayed to the end of August, and a joint process which will realize savings in extended benefit coverage. Union members will benefit from the return of a pay-direct at the pharmacy card instead of the current system of reimbursement of payment for prescribed drugs.
CUPE represents over 500 members in the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA). HSA is the lead union in the 17,000 member bargaining association. Other unions in the bargaining association are BCGEU, PEA, and HEU.
For all bargaining updates and information on CUPE’s health sector in BC visit http://bcchs.cupe.ca/.Â
