Burnaby (Coast Salish Territories) BCGEU Release – Following months of negotiations the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) reached a tentative agreement with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), covering more than 26,000 community health workers across the province.
“Fixing long-standing inequities for community health workers is how we protect and strengthen community-based care—and that’s what members fought for in this round of bargaining,” said Scott De Long, Bargaining Chair and BCGEU Vice-President. “This tentative agreement reflects the strength and solidarity members showed throughout bargaining, including a powerful strike vote, that the bargaining committee is pleased to take to the membership for ratification.”
Community health workers provide essential services across B.C., including home support, shelters and supportive housing, clinics, detox and treatment programs, mental-health group homes, and regional health units. Chronic recruitment and retention challenges—driven by inequities and unstable working conditions—have put pressure on services and workers alike.
“Our members have always known that we can only tackle these issues if the frontlines have access to fairer pay and stronger protections,” adds De Long, “B.C’s healthcare system is highly interdependent. For it to truly function, all services must be supported equally, and that starts with respecting and valuing the workers who provide those services. I’m proud to say our tentative agreement represents a good step towards a stronger, safer and more respectful health system.”
In the coming weeks, the bargaining committee will finalize and share a full summary of changes with members before they are asked to vote on ratification, which will decide if the tentative deal achieved today becomes their next contract. The BCGEU will have more details to share at that time.
In November 2025, CBA members voted 92.3 per cent in favour of strike action to secure a fair deal. Their last contract expired on March 31, 2025.
The BCGEU is the lead union of the multi-union CBA and represents nearly 16,000 members. For more visit: https://www.bargainingbc.ca/community_health
The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with more than 95,000 members in almost every community and economic sector.
