New B.C. agency could mean more privatization and layoffs

BCGEU says Campbell Liberals failing to consult in spirit of historic Supreme Court of Canada decision

Vancouver (18 Dec. 2007) - The British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE) says creation of a new public agency to centralize health services in the province may usher in another wave of privatization and layoffs.

Plans for the agency, Health Authority Shared Services (HASS), run by the health ministry and B.C.'s six health authorities, have been announced by B.C.'s Liberal government.

The agency will target payroll, information technology, purchasing and other services in the health sector for centralization and possible privatization.

Even though these plans have been in development for the last eight months, the government failed to disclose them to health unions until last week, despite repeated requests for information during talks that followed a historic Supreme Court of Canada decision last June on Bill 29.

'Bombshell'

"This bombshell by the provincial government places into question whether they are truly committed to the Supreme Court mandated consultation process," says BCGEU president George Heyman.

"Dropping this on the table at the last minute, after months of planning in secret, demonstrates a significant lack of respect and commitment to their obligation to consult with affected unions," Heyman says.

"The BCGEU has issued a written request to the Health Employers' Bargaining Association (HEBA) to provide specific information of which services will be affected so that we may inform our members and prepare the union's response."

The failure of the Campbell government to consult with health unions on issues that affect their members' collective bargaining rights was central to the ruling which struck down key sections of the 2002 law.

Bill 29 rewrote health care collective agreements and resulted in the layoff of thousands of workers - mostly women - to make way for privatization.

In its decision, the court established collective bargaining as a right protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As a result of this decision, there is an obligation by government to engage in meaningful consultations and good faith negotiations.

Privatization failures

Heyman says the secrecy leading up to B.C.'s announcement shows it has learned little from the high court's decision or from five years of failed privatization experiments.

The multi-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) has been in talks with government on the implementation of the Bill 29 ruling since early October. NUPGE