The Province is taking significant steps to ensure seniors and people with complex health needs in publicly funded care homes, and the workers who care for them, continue to have the support they need, regardless of where they live or work.
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 bring eligible care-home operators to HEABC membership, ensuring workers are covered by an HEABC-negotiated collective agreement. This transition reinforces consistent provincial labour standards across the sector, strengthens the workforce and promotes high-quality and reliable care for seniors and people with complex health needs.
“Every senior in British Columbia deserves dependable, compassionate care,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “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.”
The MOA was reached through collective bargaining between HEABC and the FBA. It is subject to ratification votes expected to conclude by Dec. 20, 2025. Once completed, this change will deliver immediate and long-term improvements, including:
- consistent labour standards across long-term care and assisted-living sites;
- stronger recruitment and retention due to fair wages and benefits;
- reduced turnover and more stable staffing;
- better continuity of care for seniors; and
- a more equitable, resilient long-term care and assisted-living sector.
“This agreement benefits more than 5,000 workers, most of them women and racialized workers, who currently lack access to pensions and benefits comparable to those doing the same type of work in our hospitals,” Osborne said. “This agreement supports fairness for workers, providing fair wages, benefits and protections, while strengthening care for seniors.”
The transition will be implemented in two phases:
- Phase 1 (Oct. 1, 2026 until Sept. 30, 2027): approximately half of the eligible operators will return to HEABC
- Phase 2 (Oct. 1, 2027 until Sept. 30, 2028): all remaining eligible operators transition to HEABC
During the transition, wage levelling will continue for HEABC-eligible sites until at least March 31, 2027, ensuring stability for workers throughout the province. For all other sites that receive some public funding but may not meet HEABC membership criteria, the Province will continue wage levelling, subject to a 90-day notice of termination.
The MOA is an important step consistent with government’s long-term objective to create a fair and consistent funding framework for all operators.
