Progress at table leaves unions optimistic
In light of positive developments in contract negotiations Wednesday night, unions representing 46,000 health services and support workers are scaling back job action slated for hundreds of B.C. health care facilities on Thursday.
“We’re pleased that we continue to make headway towards achieving a new collective agreement,” said HEU leader Chris Allnutt, who’s also chief bargaining spokesperson for the 10 unions involved in the talks. “As a result, we’ve decided to change our plans so that patient and resident care isn’t affected at all.”
Starting at 8 a.m. at most facilities — and at varying times after that when 72-hour strike notice comes due at other sites — a small number of union members will come off the job. They’ll leaflet the public and other health care workers about the key issues involved in the talks, which resumed in Vancouver on Tuesday. The unions will not be putting up picket lines.
The goal of the actions, says Allnutt, is to insure that the unions can keep all their options open as talks near the closure stage.
A detailed list of the facilities where HEU job action will take place and the times it begins is available on the union’s website, www.heu.org.