The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) ... representing 14,000 community health services and support workers ... met on October 18 to discuss next steps in trying to achieve a collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC).

No new bargaining dates have been set.

So far, significant progress has been made in resolving many of the non-monetary issues, including the renewal of many Memoranda of Understanding attached to the collective agreement, and improvements to the grievance and arbitration provisions.

Health Sciences Association, on behalf of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), is calling for the withdrawal of a province-wide policy that threatens to fire health science professionals who refuse to declare whether they have been vaccinated against seasonal flu.

Union members who work in Community Health Services and Support sector have voted 86 per cent in favour of job action.

HSA President Reid Johnson said this strong mandate is a clear message to employers. "Our members in community health help hold our communities together," he said. "It's time for the Health Employers' Association of BC and the BC government to recognize the invaluable services provided by these members, and to value the needs of their patients and clients."

In addition, some HSA members covered by the Community Health Services and Support contract will be voting by mail-in ballot. 

Talks to renew the Community Health Services and Support provincial contract have adjourned and the unions will be conducting a strike vote.

HSA President Reid Johnson said that after eight long months at the bargaining table, members in community health services and support deserve a fair and reasonable deal.

BCs Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall yesterday announced new measures for influenza prevention among health care workers and patients.

The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) and the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) continued negotiations for the renewal of the Community Health collective agreement for four days and concluded on July 12, 2012.  Talks are scheduled to continue for two weeks in Vancouver starting August 15.

During the week of bargaining, the CBA and HEABC discussed and tabled counter proposals on the issues of job postings, layoff and recall, arbitration procedure, occupational health and safety, and issues related to casual rights.

If you are an HSA member who was laid off after January 28, 2002 due to re-tendering, contracting out, or bumping from a heath care job in the community subsector,

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If you are a current employee in a community subsector job and are interested in skills development, you may be eligible for reimbursement of training costs.

The retraining funds are available as a result of a settlement between health unions, health employers and the BC government related to a June, 2007 Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Bill 29.

Three weeks of negotiations for the renewal of the Community Health collective agreement covering 14,000 health care and administrative workers in the Community Health sub-sector concluded on Saturday, June 16 in Vancouver. Talks are scheduled to resume on July 9, 2012 for one week.

The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) met last week and over the weekend in Vancouver to exchange and discuss proposals with the Health Employers' Association of British Columbia (HEABC).

Last week the two parties discussed issues and exchanged amendments to previously tabled proposals. The CBA tabled counter proposals related to casuals, job postings and classifications. HEABC and CBA tabled and discussed counter proposals to the grievance and arbitration procedures and continued to discuss the scheduling provisions.