The Hospital Employees’ Union recently negotiated a Labour Adjustment Transfer Agreement (LATA) with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) to bring hundreds of security officer positions back into the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA).
When the BC Liberals (now the BC United Party) passed Bill 29 in 2002, Protection Services was privatized at most provincial health authorities.
But last fall, the BC NDP government announced funding for 320 new Relational Security Officer (RSO) positions, with specialized training in trauma-informed intervention/approach.
So far, Relational Security Officers are employed at 26 work sites in health authorities across the province as well as Providence Health Care, and are covered by the transfer agreement.
This LATA follows on the heels of transfer agreements to bring Housekeeping and Food Services in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island back into the FBA. Like Protection Services, those jobs were contracted out with the passage of Bill 29.
Since August 2021, more than 4,000 contracted support services workers have been repatriated into the public sector.
Protection Services Officers (now Relational Security Officers) at Victoria General and Royal Jubilee hospitals on Vancouver Island recertified to join HEU in 2020.
At that time, non-unionized Protection Services Officers at the Comox Valley and Campbell River Hospitals on the North Island were also certified by HEU.
An additional Memorandum of Agreement has been negotiated to recognize seniority for former Paladin Security employees (including those at Northern and Interior health authorities) previously hired into a Relational Security Officer position not covered by the transfer agreement.
The LATA applies to Security Officers working for Protective Services contractors at Providence Health Care, Vancouver Coastal, Provincial Health Services, Fraser and Interior health authorities.
It includes the following:
- Protection Services will be solely based on a Relational Security model. If employers intend to introduce a mixed security model, including both Security Officers and Relational Security Officers, it will be discussed with the union and any impacts to the agreement will be considered.
- Security Officers working for Paladin Security will have the option to be employed with the respective health authority.
- Members will select positions from a schedule, based on seniority and employment status.
- Seniority for Security Officers working for Paladin Security will be recognized.
- Previous facilities subsector seniority will be recognized for any Security Officers who worked for a health authority in Protection Services prior to contracting out.
- There will be funding to support Security Officers who will need to obtain the Advanced Security Training.
- Training and orientation for Security Officers to become Relational Security Officers will be provided by employers.
- Security Officers, who may not be successful in becoming a Relational Security Officer, will have the opportunity to register as a casual employee in another department for which they are qualified.
- There will be a seamless and immediate transition to Joint Facilities Benefits Trust (JFBT) benefit plans for eligible employees.
- Security Officers will receive a full orientation and onboarding with the health employer.
Some work sites will be repatriated on February 4, 2024, or sooner, and the remainder will be repatriated from February 4 to September 30, 2024.
Local discussions between health employers and the union will take place to facilitate the repatriation with each health authority and Providence Health Care.
For more information, contact your HEU servicing representative.