HSA REPORT, MARCH 2014

BY VAL AVERY, PRESIDENT, HEALTH SCIENCES ASSOCIATION

Negotiating contracts is a big part of what unions do for their members. But it's not the only thing.

Surrey Memorial Hospital RPNs Abi Ologani, Tanya Maksymiw and Amanda Farrand

HSA REPORT, MARCH 2014

A year ago, Tanya Maksymiw didn't know a lot about HSA.

In fact, the RPN didn't know a lot about any unions, despite belonging to one union or the other over the last 20 years.

And when HSA staff put on an information meeting on raiding at Surrey Memorial Hospital, she didn't go to get involved.

All HSA Registered Psychiatric Nurses are reminded that you will have until next Thursday, February 27, 2014 to file a grievance about lack of drug coverage. Decisions about grievance remedies will be made after February 27 once a full review of every individual grievance has been completed.

To file a grievance on your behalf HSA requires that you complete the following form:

83% of HSA RPNs reject raid campaign to date

Registered Psychiatric Nurses at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Abbotsford Regional Hospital have voted to stick with HSA despite an aggressive and well-funded raid campaign by the BC Nurses' Union and the Union of Psychiatric Nurses.

HSA members gathered in Richmond last week to consider HSA members’ priorities for the Nurses Bargaining Association. Wages and benefits are the priorities for HSA’s more than 1,400 registered psychiatric nurses who work under the Nurses Bargaining Association collective agreement.

Members called for a fix to the Pharmacare Tie-in implement in the 2012-2014 contract, as well as for improved wages and classification specialization that recognizes registered psychiatric nurses’ unique contribution to the modern health care team.

Registered psychiatric nurses represented by HSA have a lot of questions about pressure tactics currently employed by the BC Nurses Union and the Union of Psychiatric Nurses. Both BCNU and UPN have recently pressured members already represented by HSA, and we've been getting questions about whether it's possible to cancel these memberships.

The deadline is now

The week of November 19, HSA will hold bargaining proposal conferences related to the four public sector contracts under which members work.

Local union meetings are being held for members to discuss proposals for consideration at the conferences, which will set the direction for bargaining new collective agreements. The contracts all expire March 31, 2014.

A new Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) negotiated into the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association and Nurses' Bargaining Association contracts in the last round of bargaining comes into effect today.

The program replaces disability management programs previously run by individual health authorities.

Jointly developed with employers and other unions over several year, EDMP is an employee-centred, proactive, and customized disability management program for employees with occupational and non-occupational illnesses and injuries.

 HSA Registered Psychiatric Nurses are encouraged to access funding available through the union for professional development.

“Continuing education is important to Registered Psychiatric Nurses, and HSA has structure this fund – obtained through contract bargaining – to provide access to training dollars to as many members as possible,” said HSA President Val Avery.