October 19, 2017
Preparing for Negotiations
Dear Colleagues:
In June of next year, we will begin negotiations with government on a new Physician Master Agreement (PMA) that will replace the current PMA on April 1, 2019. The PMA affects every physician in the province; it impacts your compensation and benefits and provides physicians with important legal protections. In advance of negotiations we are reaching out to and consulting with members to determine what is important to you.
How will my voice get heard? Negotiations Survey coming next week.
As an immediate first step, early next week every member will receive an email from Doctors of BC inviting you to participate in our negotiations survey. The survey will close four weeks later. I encourage you to complete it as this is an effective initial step for you to have input and to tell us your priorities for how the PMA funding should be directed.
Direct Input
To express your views directly on specific priorities you would like addressed, please email the Negotiations Department by clicking here.
Another option is to contact your local Doctors of BC Regional Advisor and Advocate (RAA) to discuss your views on negotiations issues – the RAAs are a valuable resource to help you articulate your issues, and they will be happy to talk or meet with you directly. You can find your local RAA by clicking here.
As we’ve done in the past, we will be meeting with all Sections and the Societies to outline how the negotiations process will work and to hear their priorities. Early in the new year, we will be engaging with your delegates to the new Representative Assembly (RA) to get a further profession-wide perspective.
What will the process be?
Many of you have told us you are unclear about what the PMA contains and the processes involved when negotiating a new agreement. Information can be found linked here in a primer on our 2019 PMA negotiations. Hopefully this will answer most of your questions.
As negotiations for the new Physician Master Agreement progress, I will continue to keep you updated on the process, recognizing that the specific content of negotiations will be confidential once we begin the formal interactions with government. Right now is the time for you to tell us what your priorities are and about the things that are important to you. Please take the time to complete the survey – we welcome your input.
 | Sincerely, Dr Trina Larsen Soles, M.Sc. M.D. FRRMS President, Doctors of BC president@doctorsofbc.ca |