Issues, Campaigns and Government Relations
The Report: February 2012 vol.33 num.1 Collective agreements covering the vast majority of HSA members working in health sciences and community social services expire on March 31, and HSAs negotiators have already begun work on the next agreements. HEALTH SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS Bargaining for the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association was scheduled to begin February 27. HSA priorities for bargaining were...
The United Steelworkers (USW) announced this week the launch of a fundraising campaign and the creation of a trust account to provide support to the workers of Babine Forest Products and their families in the wake of an explosion at the Burns Lake, B.C. sawmill. The tragedy in Burns Lake has affected the whole community, including the many HSA members...
The BC Federation of Labour's officers have thrown their support behind the Canadian Federation of Students National Day of Action, Federation President Jim Sinclair announced today. See full news release.
The new Health Care Innovation Working Group announced at this weeks Council of the Federation meeting is an opportunity for the provinces to build on the many positive public solutions that make Medicare stronger and avoid unaffordable for-profit care, says the BCHealth Coalition.-The provinces must look for ways to build the capacity of public non-profit health care delivery and protect...
Hospital pharmacists across BC are protesting a surprise unilateral announcement rolling back their wages and aggravating a critical recruitment and retention crisis. HSA Executive Director Jeanne Meyers said the union has taken immediate action to try to stop the planned wage rollback. -Weve filed a policy grievance calling on the Health Employers Association of B.C. (HEABC) to cease and desist,"...
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 16, 2012) - Council of the Federation meeting on health sustainability is an opportunity for premiers to address growing out-of-pocket health care spending on for-profit care and demand federal funding commitment to a renewed health accord.Public health care advocates and allies from across Canada are calling on premiers to work together to address health spending...
December 6 marks the anniversary of the Montréal massacre of 14 young women at the École Polytechnique. Violence against women continues to be a serious issue in Canada: • An estimated 60% of Canadian women have suffered from physical or psychological violence at some time in their lives.• In 2007, nearly 40,200 incidents of spousal violence were reported to police...
The Report: December 2011 vol.32 num.4 -HOW WILL I TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY if I get sick, or become unable to work?" Thats a question that hovers in the back of almost everyones mind. We assume that our health benefits will take care of us, and for the most part, they do. For many years, however, disability management programs...
The Report: December 2011 vol.32 num.4 SURVEY CONFIRMS MEMBERS WORRY INSUFFICIENT REST IS PUTTING THEIR SAFETY AT RISK HSA MEMBERS WORKING ON CALL or call back say theyre suffering from fatigue thats so serious it sometimes jeopardizes their personal safety. Following up on complaints that working on call and call backs can lead to getting insufficient time off between shifts...
The Report: December 2011 vol.32 num.4 THERE IS NO DOUBT HSA members are angry about the way they were treated by the government in the last round of contract negotiations. But I still find it striking to recognize the source of this anger is not concern for themselves ... its their deep concern for the future of health care and...