Private clinic operator’s Medicare challenge dismissed by BC’s highest court
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B.C.’s highest court has upheld a 2020 lower court decision rejecting arguments that B.C.’s ban on extra-billing and private health insurance is unconstitutional. The legal challenge to the principles of Medicare launched by private clinic operator Dr. …
Last updated: Jul 15, 2022
B.C.’s largest health union supports premiers’ call for more federal support for health care
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Meena Brisard, Secretary-Business Manager of the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU), issued the following statement on the occasion of the Council of the Federation meeting in Victoria: “As Canada’s premiers’ gather in Victoria this week, I want to let …
Last updated: Jul 11, 2022
Health care workers transfer from private companies back to the public sector
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[Burnaby, B.C.] – The Hospital Employees’ Union is welcoming today’s transfer of 448 privatized housekeepers and food services workers back under the employ of the Vancouver Island Health Authority and Providence Health Care (PHC). When 221 housekeepers …
Last updated: Jun 24, 2022
More privatized health care workers are brought back into the public sector
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[Burnaby, B.C.] – The Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) is celebrating the return of 397 privatized workers back under Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) and Provincial Health Services Agency (PHSA) after nearly 20 years of working for private …
Last updated: Apr 29, 2022
Fraser Health brings privatized housekeepers back in-house
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[Burnaby, B.C.] – The Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU) is celebrating the return of privatized workers who are being brought back in-house at three health care facilities in the Fraser Health Authority during April. Today, 160 health care workers at Royal …
Last updated: Apr 20, 2022
Poll: Two years into pandemic, one in three health care workers likely to quit
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[BURNABY, BC] – Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, a new poll finds health care workers in B.C. struggling with their mental health, and worried about making ends meet at their current pay rates. One out of three (34.4 per cent) are looking to leave …
Last updated: Mar 23, 2022
HEU responds to Budget 2022
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Budget 2022: Health care system strained by COVID-19 will struggle to deliver services in face of changing demographics, increased costs [VICTORIA, B.C.] Budget 2022 commits funds for training more care aides and reversing the privatization of critical …
Last updated: Feb 22, 2022
Victoria-area hospitals bring nearly 180 privatized food service workers back in-house
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[Burnaby, B.C.] – The Hospital Employees’ Union is welcoming today’s transfer of nearly 180 privatized food service workers back to the Vancouver Island Health Authority at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals. It is the second group of workers in …
Last updated: Feb 18, 2022
Contract talks begin today for 58,000 health care workers in B.C.
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[Burnaby, B.C.] – Collective bargaining begins today between the nine-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) and the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) for a new collective agreement covering 58,000 health care workers. Negotiations are set …
Last updated: Dec 12, 2025
Province reverses privatization of cleaning and dietary work in B.C. hospitals
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More than 4,000 workers to be brought in-house ending 20-year privatization policy that drove down wages for women and workers of colour, and fragmented the health care team [Vancouver, B.C.] Health Minister Adrian Dix today announced that privatized …
Last updated: Aug 31, 2021