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Written by Bal Dhillon

Category: Latest

Published: 27 December 2020

BC Hospital Pharmacy Technicians are in the process of submitting their appliation to the Labour Relations Board in order to transfer bargaining unions.  The objective for this initiative is:

1. to advance the Pharmacy Technician profession
2. to align Pharmacy Technicians with other similar professionals
3. to provide Pharmacy Technicians with more influence at the collective bargaining table 
4. for better wages that will reflect the scope & complexity of their duties

Update:

The application has been finalized and submitted to the LRB by the legal team!  Next step is for the labour board to review the appliation and any responses before making a decision (hopefully without the need for a hearing!).

The application itself is a great read and is the result of all the hard work Eric Sletmoen has done on his free time! It represents the profession very well, and it also represents all of your hard-earned donations coming to fruition - you folks should be proud of it, too!

It is not recommended to post the entire application publicly at this time, an excerpt from the conclusion is being shared below.  ~~~

(any comments are asked to be posted at: Bargaining Unit Upgrade | Chuffed | Non-profit charity and social enterprise fundraising versus social media in an effort to keep proceedings professional. Any media requests can be directed to  Eric Sletmoen through the "Contact" button on the Chuffed page (link above).

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"CONCLUSION

42. In applying the relevant criteria established in the Paramedical Inquiry, supra, for transferring certain professionals to the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Unit, it is our position that the RPhTs, and specifically the hospital RPhTs, not only meet but also have exceeded each of those criteria. The enhanced training and educational requirements, mandatory and ongoing registration and certification with the College, mandatory continuation education, as well as the enhanced knowledge and independence of their judgment and actions respecting their duties and responsibilities, have significantly evolved over the last 20 years and as a result, are totally consistent with a move from the Facilities Subsector Bargaining Unit to the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Unit.

43. It is further our submission, that based on the significance evidence and material that we have presented, the role of the hospital RPhT clearly falls well within the “patient care” end of the continuum and, is a clear example of “... how their scientific knowledge is exercised in relation to the delivery of health care to patients”.

44. It is also our submission that on the basis of the substantial information that we have submitted, the hospital RPhTs share a clear and distinct community of interest with other healthcare professionals with whom they work closely, and who are currently included in the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Unit most notably pharmacists. In addition, their collective bargaining aspirations would best be met through representation by the HSA rather than their current representation by the HEU."

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Thank you all once again for your generous donations, especially during a global pandemic. We hope you're all doing your parts and staying safe out there - and remembering to share  this campaign and provide monetary support! More updates will be provided as soon as we hear back about our submission, so stay tuned. 

** SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO BURNABY HOSPITAL PHARMACY STAFF who are at the top of the leaderbpard, having contributed more than any other group or single donar so far!**

(FYI - To see the leaderboard, scroll to the bottom of the fundraiser page. 

Absolutely incredible work, BH Techs! You make us all proud. Thank you so much for fundraising so well for the cause!

Background:

To transfer bargaining units, members of a profession must make an application to the Labour Board of Canada. Each bargaining unit has its own set of eligibility criteria. The criteria to belong in PPBU are as follows:

Paramedical Professional Employees:

BC Hospital Pharmacy Technicians meet all these criteria now!

Other professions have successfully transferred bargaining units in the past. Some of them have remained members of HEU, while others have been reassigned to HSA. This decision rests with the Labour Board of Canada, and they will decide which association is a better fit for Hospital Pharmacy Technicians after  the application has been processed. For more information, please refer to the Labour Board's website.

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