Unions representing 38,000 hospital and long-term care workers have reached a tentative agreement with B.C.’s health employers after seven weeks of negotiations.
The four-year contract would raise wages on average 10.8 per cent. Some job classifications will receive as much as 32 per cent over the life of the agreement.
All workers will receive a $3,700 early signing bonus and an additional lump-sum payment of $500.
The agreement would also limit the number of positions health employers can contract out, enhanced severance pay for displaced workers and improve access to jobs.
The unions also negotiated new language to deal with workloads.
The union bargaining committee is recommending that members ratify the terms of settlement.