This summer, the provincial government continued to advance the work of bringing long-term care (LTC) and assisted living (AL) sites back into the public sector, in line with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on seniors' care.
The MOA was negotiated in the most recent round of Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) collective bargaining, and committed government to bringing publicly funded seniors care operators under the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), bringing nearly 5,000 seniors care workers into the public sector.
"This MOA is a historic win for HEU members and seniors care workers." says Lynn Bueckert, HEU secretary-business manager, "HEU has been fighting for more than 20 years to restore seniors care standards in BC, by bringing seniors care sites back into the public sector and improving conditions for workers."
Since the ratification of the FBA collective agreement in December 2025, HEU has been steadfast in pressuring government and HEABC for timely implementation of the MOA.
In particular, HEU has been pressing government and HEABC to confirm the list of eligible seniors' care operators so that the union can start the necessary transition to prepare workers at these sites who will be joining public sector bargaining units (including the FBA, Nurses' Bargaining Association and Community Health Bargaining Association).
Uniting the Team webpage
To help HEU members understand the transition process and what it means for health care workers at the affected sites, the Uniting the Team webpage (www.heu.org/uniting-seniors-care) has been created to provide updates on the MOA implementation process.
This page includes updated timeline information shared by government in late June, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions resource for health care workers.
HEU will build on this policy win to continue pushing for better seniors' care across the province.
"While this is an important win for those working in seniors care, it still falls short of establishing common standards for seniors’ care across B.C.," says Bueckert. "That’s why HEU continues to advocate for better seniors’ care and working conditions for seniors' care workers through our Care Can’t Wait campaign."