New six-year contract includes annual wage increases while preserving retiree benefits

CUPE 1816 members have ratified a new collective agreement with Pacific Blue Cross that includes annual wage increases, preserves retiree benefits and establishes a health and welfare trust to be managed by joint union-management trustees.

The six-year contract, ratified at a union meeting last night, includes wage increases of 1.5 per cent for year one (retroactive), 1.75 per cent for year two, and 2 per cent for each of the final four years.

The contract came with a return to work agreement that will see PBC’s 600 employees back on the job next Monday (September 18). The union’s picket line outside PBC’s Burnaby office will be down today.

“It has been a long and difficult struggle for this contract, but we are very happy with the result. We feel that the new agreement addresses the main concerns we had raised, so we had no hesitation in bringing it back to the membership,” said CUPE 1816 President Beth Miller.

“We understand that PBC plan holders have been seriously inconvenienced by this dispute. We wish to thank them for their patience over these past few months and assure them that we will do our very best to bring service levels back to normal as soon as possible. We also want to thank everyone who supported us during this labour dispute.”