On November 17, 2025 the multi-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) reached a tentative agreement covering more than 67,500 health care workers across the province.
This comprehensive report provides an overview of the tentative agreement, highlighting changes and improvements. You will also find copies of each signed article with all changed, added or deleted language noted.
Under the agreement, FBA members would receive a general wage increase of three per cent in each year of the four-year term, as well as targeted increases for some shift premiums, leaves and allowances.
Non-monetary gains will strengthen and expand occupational health and safety measures, provide new supports for Indigenous workers, enhance workplace diversity, strengthen union representation rights, and improve provisions for work-life balance.
A ratification vote will be held December 15 through 19, using the online voting platform Simply Voting. Ballots will be sent by email to FBA members.
If you are an HEU FBA member who has not recently received emails from your union, please update your email contact information using this change of contract information form.
The HEU Provincial Executive has unanimously endorsed the recommendation of the tentative agreement by the FBA bargaining committee and asks members to vote “YES” in the ratification vote.
More highlights
- Wages, premiums and allowances
Under the agreement, FBA members would receive a general wage increase of three per cent in each year for a total of 12 per cent over the four-year term.
In addition to general wage increases, all shift premiums – weekend, evening and night – were boosted. Trades qualification (TQ) premiums were also increased and expanded to eligible casuals. And there are new porter benchmarks and related grid upgrades.
The list of occupations to which regulatory college fee reimbursements apply has been expanded, plus reimbursements now apply to eligible casuals. The isolation allowance will include more communities. Trade apprentice compensation has been increased, and criminal record check reimbursements can now be claimed by new employees.
When it comes to enhancing leaves, members will have more time off for bereavement leave and the scope of special leaves has been expanded. In addition, the retirement payout for unused sick leave has increased.
Try our wage calculator to see how your hourly wage would increase in each of the four years.
- Multi-agreement wage restoration plan
In the 2022-2025 Facilities agreement, the FBA secured $26.3 million in permanent wage adjustments in recognition of the unfair 15 per cent wage cuts to members in 2004 as part of back-to-work legislation.
The government is committing to a multi-agreement wage restoration plan, starting with a fund of $60.5 million for additional wage restoration that will benefit all members over the 2025-2029 agreement.
Looking beyond 2029, health employers and the government committed to fund what is expected to be at least another $132 million for wage restoration over the following two collective agreements.
Taken together, the total value of the wage restoration over four collective agreements will exceed $218 million.
- Safer working conditions and expanded union representation
A new provision will pilot regional joint health and safety committees to provide greater oversight and coordination of psychological health, violence prevention, and joint occupational health and safety. In addition, there will now be paid occupational health and safety training for members in supervisory roles.
There are improvements to preventative measures that deal with violence, manual lifting, working alone, workload prioritization, and exposure to biological agents, chemicals, or substances.
There will also be more dedicated shop stewards bringing the total from 21 to 29 full-time equivalent positions at the largest sites and two new, temporary occupational health and safety advocates.
- Improving work-life balance, recruitment and retention
There are new provisions to support job sharing and stepping up efforts to regularize positions. Improvements were also made to portability and mobility provisions, while the fund that supports employee proposals for revised rotations will continue.
In addition to a new peer-to-peer support allowance, this agreement also commits to a mentorship pilot project to help with team integration.
The $4.5 million FBA Education Fund, which provides short- and long-term education and training opportunities to advance members’ health care careers, has been renewed.
- More inclusive workplace
As one of Canada’s most diverse provinces, more work needs to be done to ensure health care is a place of compassion, comfort and care.
To better support the increasingly diverse health care workforce, this agreement will see the launch of a pilot program to provide more flexibility and time off for cultural celebrations.
The agreement expands Indigenous cultural leave and creates a new Indigenous child care leave provision, along with providing a new fund to support cultural revitalization opportunities, including Indigenous language learning.
There are also new and enhanced measures to support the recruitment, retention and advancement of Indigenous workers.
- Reversing privatization in long-term care
This agreement seeks to improve seniors’ care with better support for a well-trained and qualified workforce to deliver a consistent provincial standard of care in B.C.
Starting in 2002, the previous government weakened labour standards that had provided a level playing field for working and caring conditions in government-funded care homes.
The privatization of seniors’ care under the previous B.C. Liberals led to wage reductions and significant staff turnover across impacted work sites. The result was fractured seniors’ care, where standards and working conditions remain inconsistent to this day.
By September 30, 2028, as part of reversing the damage of these failed health policies, the provincial government will restore common wages, benefits and working conditions for several thousand unionized staff at dozens of long-term care and assisted living facilities, currently excluded from the FBA.
See tentative agreement FAQs
