Health Science Professionals

The Daily Bulletin (Kimberley) Hospital pharmacists and medical imaging technicians plan to go ahead with brief strikes Thursday and Friday as a mediator attempts to reach a settlement with 16,000 health science employees at hospitals and clinics across B.C. Mediator Vince Ready was brought in Tuesday after negotiations that started in February failed to produce an agreement. The Health Employers...

Negotiators for health science professionals and health employers have agreed to mediation nine months after bargaining began. Mediator Vince Ready was brought in by the parties this week. -We are pleased to have Mr. Ready join us in trying to kick-start meaningful negotiations," said Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) Chief Negotiator Jeanne Meyers. -And weve already seen the benefit...

As health science professionals return to the bargaining table today, plans to begin rotating strikes have been delayed one day to demonstrate good faith in the bargaining process. Talks between the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association and Health Employers Association of BC are scheduled to continue through the week. With the change, the rotating strikes will begin Thursday, December 6...

In order to demonstrate support for continued bargaining, the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association has delayed plans for rotating strikes by one day. Instead of reducing pharmacy services to essential service levels Wednesday, the job action will commence Thursday, December 6 at 9 a.m. and continue until midnight Thursday. -In recognition of the governments reasonable agreement to suspend the punitive...

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4 IN OUR LONG HISTORY, HSA MEMBERS HAVE RARELY FELT WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PREPARE FOR A STRIKE. Our health science professional members have only gone on strike three times before now, and the last time more than 11 years ago. Its not something we take lightly. That is why it is so...

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4 IN AN IDEAL WORLD, STRIKES WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. Employees and employers would meet at the bargaining table, discuss bargaining proposals based upon reason, justice and mutual respect. They would use objective data and negotiate a settlement. In reality, that is often what happens. However, sometimes there are significantly different points of view about...

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4 HEALTH SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS DELIVERED A RESOUNDING 90 PERCENT STRIKE VOTE TO BACK THEIR BARGAINING COMMITTEE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH BC'S HEALTH EMPLOYERS. -This strong vote sends a clear message to government and health authorities that its time to come to the table and negotiate a fair and reasonable collective agreement," said Reid Johnson, President of...

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4 BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN IS IT POSSIBLE TO STAND UP FOR YOUR PROFESSION USING 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS? HSA member Dr. Dean Elbe says, -Yes, absolutely." Elbe, a Clinical Pharmacist at BC Childrens Hospitals Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program, used his Twitter account to help HSA galvanize opposition to a proposed 14 per cent...

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4 AFTER NINE MONTHS OF HARD BARGAINING, WE HAVE REACHED AN IMPASSE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW WE GOT HERE. You have given the bargaining committee a clear mandate: restore competitive wages, protect benefits and protect working conditions, including dealing with workload and call issues. We have spent nine months trying to kick start negotiations...

On the eve of the implementation of a new province-wide policy that threatened to fire health science professionals who refused to declare whether they had been vaccinated against seasonal flu, Health Sciences Association has negotiated an agreement that sees the government back off on the policys punitive aspects. This year, the Ministry of Health will focus on educational efforts and...