Health Science Professionals

The Health Sciences Association (HSA) and Professional Employees Association (PEA), the two unions that represent psychologists and psychometrists in BC's public health care system, welcome yesterday's Labour Relations Board (LRB) decision to deny a BC Nurses' Union (BCNU) application to further destabilize labour relations in BC's hospitals. The LRB dismissed BCNU's recent application to move some psychologists and psychometrists (testing...

Health science professionals will soon have greater control over their benefits thanks to a new joint benefits trust. The trustees will become part of an innovative and progressive approach that gives them the flexibility to design a benefit structure that aligns with members' needs. It is fitting that health science professionals were first to sign onto this initiative, given how...

HSA, on behalf of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), has now concluded negotiations for a labour adjustment plan with PHSA . This labour adjustment plan will address the implementation of the PHSA laboratory technical leadership redesign in the most supportive and respectful manner for our laboratory technologists. Lab stewards and members have done an exemplary job at articulating...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2015 HSA health science professionals dominated the field at the 2015 Providence Health Care research challenge The research challenge, now in its fifth year, supports evidence-based innovation to improve patient care. It provides point of care health care workers with no formal research experience an opportunity to conduct research to inform their work in patient care...

Earlier this summer, unions belonging to the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association reached a settlement agreement in principle with respect to outstanding grievances about 37.5 hour work week process at Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. As a result of this agreement in principle, schedules will not change, but grievors will receive one of two different possible settlements: A bank of three...

A massive redesign of laboratory services in Interior Health Authority was announced this month by the health authority. Changes over the next two years include consolidation of all services to the Kelowna General Hospital lab, and the expanded use of Point of Care (POC) testing. The changes are expected to affect 23 sites across IHA. This week, a team of...

The 2014-2019 HSPBA collective agreement includes provisions committing the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers' Association of BC (HEABC) to establish the Joint Health Science Benefits Trust (JHSBT) for provision of health and welfare benefits. The JHSBT will be governed by a Board of Trustees with an equal number of trustees appointed by HSPBA and HEABC, and...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2015 BY DENNIS BLATCHFORD HSA PENSIONS AND BENEFITS ADVOCATE Q: I understand there was a presentation on the new health and welfare trust at the recent HSA annual convention. What were the highlights? Yes, members of the Joint Health Sciences Benefit Trust (JHSBT) Working Group did a report out at the HSA convention in early May...

Following the successful launch of the pilot project in April, the Enhanced Disability Management Program for affiliate employers is expanding once again. EDMP, which is already supporting thousands of HSA members working in health authorities, has a proven track record of helping members who are absent from work due either to a work-related or non-work related illness or injury, or...

VANCOUVER – CUPE 873-03 served 72-hour strike notice to SN Transport yesterday after attempts to reach a first collective agreement failed. The union represents 115 workers who provide patient transfer services in the Lower Mainland. “From the moment this group of workers joined CUPE and we started bargaining their first agreement, the employer has resisted and used foot dragging tactics,”...