The Public Service Agency has calculated the Economic Stability Dividend (ESD) for 2017, which will amount to an increase of 0.35 per cent on hourly wage rates, effective the first pay period after February 1, 2017.
This will affect about 2,200 HEU community health members covered by the multi-union Community Bargaining Association (CBA), led by BCGEU.
A general wage increase of one per cent (1%) is also in effect on the same date, raising hourly wage rates for all CBA members by a total of 1.35 per cent.
The ESD was negotiated in the 2014-2019 collective agreements covering all HEU members in the facilities, community health and community social services sectors.
The Economic Stability Dividend is calculated on the variation between the actual growth in provincial real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the projected real GDP growth, provided by the provincial Economic Forecast Council. Real GDP is adjusted for inflation and is measured by Statistics Canada. It’s published on a provincial basis in their report titled Real Gross Domestic Product at Market Prices in November of each year.
Similar calculations will be conducted over the next two years, and may result in ESD pay increases in February of 2018 and 2019.