(Sent to impacted members only)
You are receiving this Q&A because your agency was invited to attend a recent information session hosted by PSEC Secretariat on June 17, 2025 regarding the transfer of supportive housing employers, including yours, to the health sector. The following captures questions posed at that meeting and the answers that are available to us at this time. As you can appreciate, we are navigating these new changes together so our information and advice may evolve as the parties move forward with the transfer; as such, additional answers will be made available as they are known and amendments to the answers below may be possible.
Why is this transfer taking place and why now?
Supportive housing programs are found in both the health and community social services sectors. The transfer of agencies to the health sector improves on the coordination of compensation paid to employees delivering supportive housing services by placing them under the same health sector collective agreement(s). It is preferable to effect this transfer ahead of, or in parallel to, collective bargaining.
Which employers are being transferred from the community social services sector to the health sector?
Only those employers that have the majority of their agency funding originating from BC Housing or originating from a combination of BC Housing and Health Authorities are transferring. The employers are listed in CSSEA’s most recent Information Bulletin: Government to Transfer Supportive Housing Agencies to Community Health. There are a number of other agencies that run supportive housing programs and are also funded by BC Housing and/or the Health Authorities but the amount of funding comprises less than half; therefore, they are deemed to continue to have a community of interest with other community social services employers in this sector and will remain CSSEA members.
Why is government addressing compensation inequities for some supportive housing workers but not all?
Government continues to support comparability in employment terms between community social services and the health sector. There has been progress over multiple rounds of bargaining and, subject to available Low Wage Redress funding, this will continue to be a focus in this round of bargaining.
Are there materials to help us communicate the transfer to our employees?
Employers should continue to communicate with employees about decisions that affect them. A good starting point for communications is the CSSEA Information bulletin that was issued: Government to Transfer Supportive Housing Agencies to Community Health. This can be forwarded to employees in its entirety or it can be adapted to suit your own purposes, as some employers have already done. This Q&A and other subsequent communications can also be shared or customized as you see fit for your agency.
Are we supposed to continue paying the Temporary Market Adjustments (TMAs) as set out in the August MOA?
Transferring agencies are to continue applying the August 2024 MOA governing the supportive housing TMAs and are expected to continue paying TMAs until their transfer to the health sector.
What are the major differences between the collective agreements and what steps should be taken?
We understand there is complexity to this transition, as there will be some changes to labour relations rules and payroll practices; some rules and practices will remain the same.
HEABC – as the employers’ association representing the agencies – will negotiate the terms of the phase-in of the health collective agreements. The phase-in is expected to occur over several months. In the meantime, the CSSEA collective agreements are to remain in effect.
To guide the transition, HEABC will develop a list of collective agreement differences and timelines for moving to the new provisions, in consultation with CSSEA and in negotiations with the health sector unions. Once the list and timelines are known, they will be shared with you.
Some of the differences include:
- job classification and payment of associated wage rates. The job classification (evaluation) process will occur in accordance with the health sector collective agreements and HEABC will support you in this process; HEABC and the unions will determine whether new benchmarks are needed for supportive housing (note that supportive housing programs already exist in the health sector under its collective agreements);
- moving to the health and welfare benefits provider and the phase-out of arrangements with current providers; and
- adjusting payroll rules to account for different paid leaves such as vacation, sick, and special leaves.
Some labour rules will remain the same and include:
- Participation in the Municipal Pension Plan;
- Job descriptions;
- Union affiliation and union dues
Will our Local Issues Agreements and Non-Provincially Funded Agreements be retained?
This will be a significant topic of discussion between HEABC and the health sector unions in the months to come. CSSEA will convey that these agreements reflect local arrangements that are critical to agencies’ current labour relations practices, like full-time hours of work, casual call-in processes, and the ability to deliver non-provincially funded services.
Will government fund the increased cost of labour for the provincially funded services we provide?
Yes. BC Housing, the Health Authorities, and other provincial ministries/funders are aware that they will need to adjust their funding to the affected agencies and that government will support these efforts with additional funding as required.
What about funding for non-union and management staff, or the additional workload caused by the transition?
There is no additional funding for management and non-union staff, or for additional administration costs, as part of this transition. The health sector has an excluded and management compensation plan administered by HEABC. Over time, agencies will need to work with their respective funders to gradually align their total funding with their operating needs, including funding for non-union staff and overhead.
Who will be supporting us in the transition to the new health sector collective agreement(s)?
Your agency will be assigned to an HEABC consultant as your main contact. HEABC, like CSSEA, also has interpretation guides of the health sector collective agreements that you will be able to access once you have website credentials. CSSEA staff will also remain available up to the transition date to assist as best as we can with your transition questions.
How will this transition affect existing grievances, particularly those matters that are referred to hearing?
Existing grievance processes under the CSSEA collective agreements continue to apply for the time being. For those matters that have escalated to the hearing stage, CSSEA and HEABC staff will discuss factors that determine whether outstanding matters will stay with your CSSEA advocate/consultant or be transferred to HEABC staff; for example, interpretation issues, local issues MOA matters, discipline, how far away the hearing date is, etc. We will advise you on whether your file remains with CSSEA or is transferred.
Do we still need to complete CSSEA’s Compensation and Employee Turnover Report?
Yes, you are required to complete this year’s Compensation and Employee Turnover Report, as this remains critical to the negotiations process and for costing the increases you will need when your agency is covered by the health sector collective agreement(s). Reporting in 2026 will be through the Health Sector Compensation Information System (HSCIS) under HEABC.
Will the transfer affect non-labour relations matters like WorkSafeBC (WSBC) industry classifications, accreditation status, or the requirement for criminal records checks or other job qualifications?
HEABC, CSSEA and WSBC will address whether employers’ classification units under the Workers Compensation Act might change. As for accreditation status and job requirements like criminal records checks, these are matters that are determined between funders and service providers, and governing legislation; these requirements will not change as a result of the transfer.
How will we know whether our paraprofessionals will fall in the Health Sciences Professionals (HSP) bargaining unit and be covered by the HSP collective agreement?
This will be confirmed by HEABC as it applies the legal test for placement in that bargaining unit. This will likely be determined as the job evaluation process is underway.
What will happen to employee wage rates if their placement in a health sector collective agreement results in a lower wage rate payable?
This will be determined by HEABC and the unions as part of the transition process.
If the CSSEA and HEABC collective agreements include wage rate adjustments as of April 2025, under which collective agreements will retroactivity be calculated?
This will need to be negotiated by HEABC and the unions as part of their negotiated settlements.
After the date of transfer, will the same union continue to represent our bargaining unit employees?
Yes, the same union will be included in the health sector articles of association, which allows for multiple unions to participate in the negotiation and administration of each health sector provincial collective agreement.
Do we continue to negotiate and mediate our essential services plans?
Yes, continue as usual. We expect that essential service levels negotiated/mediated will continue to be approved by the Labour Relations Board (LRB); however, this still needs to be confirmed with the LRB.
Will our employees continue to be covered by the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) and the CSS Early Intervention Program (EIP)?
Employees will continue to be covered by a similar EIP under the health sector agreements; the program is known as the Early Disability Management Program (EDMP).
Will there be a contact at BC Housing who will act as a coordinator for this transfer?
CSSEA and HEABC will engage with BC Housing to make this request.
Will there be future meetings to discuss and inform us about emerging issues and solutions?
Yes, the next virtual information session will take place on July 4 from 10:00 to 11:30am and you will receive an invitation by e-mail. We encourage you to forward that invitation to other colleagues at your agency whom you feel should also be in attendance.