Nurses

Negotiators for the Nurses Bargaining Association (BC Nurses Union, Health Sciences Association, Union of Psychiatric Nurses) have been working hard to achieve a new provincial contract that addresses members top priorities - improving patient care and patient safety through safe staffing and job security.The current bargaining session, which began on August 17, was scheduled to end August 31. Instead, bargaining...

BCs Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall yesterday announced new measures for influenza prevention among health care workers and patients. As in previous years, health care workers who work in patient care areas are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated annually against influenza. However, under the new policy, if health care workers chose not to be vaccinated they will be required to...

Negotiators for the Nurses Bargaining Association worked hard to resolve several issues with health employers in bargaining sessions that took place last week (May 28 ... June 1). Bargaining between the Nurses Bargaining Association and the Health Employers Association of BC will resume the last week of June. The issues discussed pertained to casual employees, health authority-wide seniority, scheduling of...

Negotiations continue at the Health Science Professionals, Nursing, Community Health, and Community Social Services bargaining tables, but there is limited progress to report. Jeanne Meyers, Chief Negotiator for the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association and HSAs executive director of legal and labour relations, said all four bargaining tables in the health and community social services sectors report slow negotiations. In...

During two weeks of bargaining for a new provincial contract (April 16-27), negotiators for the Nurses Bargaining Association and Health Employers Association of BC debated three key issues without coming to a resolution.Negotiators will pick up discussions when bargaining resumes next month. The issues debated are:1. Health authority-wide seniority will improve nurses mobility and ensure nurses can maximize the value...

The East Kootenay and District Labour Council is holding a one-day education session Saturday April 28. The workshops include "Stress in the Workplace," "Pensions," and "Young Worker Education." For more information and registration: Workshop Information Registration

The elected bargaining committee for the Nurses Bargaining Association has completed two more weeks of negotiations with the Health Employers Association of BC (March 19-30), with discussions focusing on four issues: 1. Responsive Shift Scheduling: Discussion with employers about how to improve shift scheduling to respond to employees needs when scheduling shifts. 2. Alternative Dispute Resolution Process (ADR): An agreement...

After a month of talks, nurses have made several gains from issues arising out of the 2009 contract extension and from employer cost savings from disability management. As of April 1, 2012, the waiting period for Long Term Disability eligibility will be reduced from five months to four months. For members waiting for LTD who have no source of employment...

A recent article in The Report contained incomplete information about tax deductions. The potential for deducting for LTD premiums only applies if you are on an accepted LTD claim. A member who is on an accepted LTD claim may be able to claim on their tax returns for LTD premiums they have previously paid. Whether they are eligible to do...

HSA members have reconfirmed that concessions on extended and dental benefits are not negotiable. After learning that government appears to be set to propose to save money by getting health care workers to pay for some of their health and dental benefits, HSA conducted an informal telephone survey of members on the weekend to alert members to this pending proposal...