1972-1973 Student Stipends
President: Dr. Ken Dubeta

Due to budget cuts and the classification of residents as students hospital administrators unilaterally reduced resident salaries and paid residents according to their hospital determined duties. There was no consistency in the stipend scale; this resulted in residents at different hospitals in the same program at the same level receiving different rates. Some were paid the following rates:
R2            $7,980 per annum
R3            $8,580 per annum
R4            $9,900 per annum
R5            $10,680 per annum

This resulted in incomes falling significantly behind nurses and their counter-parts in other provinces. At the same time, cost of living was increasing 6% per annum. There was also a denial or inconsistent application of health and welfare benefits provided to health care employees.

1974 Strike
President: Dr. Craig Beattie

A continued refusal by the hospitals to increase wages and provide dental benefits led to the first ever BC resident physician strike. Withdrawal of services commenced at Royal Columbian Hospital and within seven days extended to all teaching hospitals. Residents were legislated back to work an arbitrator was appointed to settle the dispute.

1975 – 1976 Trade Union
President: Dr. Hugo Sutton

An amendment to the Labour Relations Code gave professionals the right to organize. In December of that year PARI-BC applied to the Labour Relations Board for certification. The application was challenged by hospitals, which claimed that residents were students and therefore not entitled to a salary or negotiated working conditions.

The Labour Relations Board conducted a hearing, using St. Paul’s Hospital as a “test” site. In 1976 it ruled that residents are employees of the hospitals. The decision, known as the Weller Decision, paved the way for PARI-BC to collectively represent residents and interns in British Columbia.