Terrace, B.C. The Province of British Columbia is taking significant steps to strengthen the seniors’ care sector by mandating consistent labour standards for publicly funded care homes and the workers who staff them.
A new memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Ministry of Health, the Health Employers Association of B.C. (HEABC), and the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) will transition eligible care home operators to HEABC membership. This move ensures that workers are covered by a standard, HEABC-negotiated collective agreement.
Ending the Two-Tier System
Minister of Health Josie Osborne emphasized that the change is designed to address a systemic inequity, stating the agreement benefits “more than 5,000 workers,” most of whom are women and racialized workers, who currently lack access to pensions and benefits comparable to those working in hospitals.
“Every senior in British Columbia deserves dependable, compassionate care,” said Minister Osborne. “By reinforcing consistent standards across the sector, we’re supporting a fair and sustainable workforce, reducing turnover and ensuring that the dedicated workers who care for seniors every day can continue to provide familiar, consistent care for seniors and their families.”
This change is viewed as a crucial step in reversing decades of privatization that had fragmented seniors’ care. As care aide Edil Bukid of Vancouver stated, being brought back under the public agreement “changed everything,” providing a pension, decent sick leave, and—most importantly—ensuring residents see familiar faces every day.
Immediate and Long-Term Benefits
The MOA, which is subject to ratification votes expected to conclude by December 20, 2025, promises several immediate and long-term improvements:
- Workforce Stability: Stronger recruitment and retention due to fair wages and benefits, which helps reduce high turnover.
- Quality of Care: Better continuity of care and delivery of more personalized, resident-centred care for seniors.
- Equity: Provides a more equitable, resilient long-term care and assisted-living sector by ensuring fair wages, benefits, and protections for all workers.
Susie Chant, Parliamentary Secretary for seniors’ services and long-term care, stated that a stable delivery of healthcare services starts with “treating workers with respect and investing in people.”
Implementation Timeline
The transition will be implemented in two phases to ensure a smooth administrative shift:
- Phase 1: Approximately half of the eligible operators will transition to HEABC between October 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027.
- Phase 2: All remaining eligible operators will transition between October 1, 2027, and September 30, 2028.
During this transition, wage levelling will continue for HEABC-eligible sites until at least March 31, 2027, ensuring stability for workers across the province. This MOA is consistent with the government’s long-term objective of creating a fair and consistent funding framework for all operators.
