Bulletins

The BC Health Coalition is urging the provincial government to investigate recent charges by a Kelowna surgeon that private surgical companies are illegally billing patients for publicly insured cataract surgeries across the province. In a March 24th letter to the Health Minister, Dr. Francois Theriault cited a BC College of Physicians and Surgeons report that 4,482 cataract extractions were performed...

HSA is one of several unions, community organizations, churches and others endorsing this weekend's Grand March For Housing organized by the Citywide Housing Coalition. March participants will send a message to candidates in the upcoming provincial election that ending homelessness is a key to developing healthy communities. Join the march this Saturday, April 4 at one of these starting points...

Ambulance paramedics across B.C. will be in a legal strike position effective Wednesday, April 1, 2009. The members of CUPE 873 are going on strike to support their position at the bargaining table that would lead to wage equity with other emergency service workers. As part of the paramedics job action, picket lines may be erected at facilities where HSA...

August 11 ... 15, 2009University of California, at Los Angeles The 28th Annual Western Regional Summer Institute on Union Women will be held August 11-15, 2009, at the University of California, Los Angeles. The five day residential program brings together 150 participants from the United States' and Canada's western regions for exciting workshops and speakers on the history, struggles, and...

The campaign to raise awareness of the importance of community-based social services is being supported by municipal councils across BC. To date, 31 city councils have passed resolutions declaring March as Community Social Services Awareness Month, following presentations by local workers in the sector. Related events include -The Value of Community Social Services" public forums in Kamloops on March 19...

Although all working people report they are suffering from more stress related to balancing responsibilities at work and at home, the greater burden is falling on women. Statistics reveal that women bear the brunt of duties associated with child care, are the primary caregivers for the elder care of aging parents and are responsible for the majority of household chores...

March 9, 2009 OHSAH is pleased to announce that it will be moving forward with the development of the OHSAH Learning Portal, which will provide BC's healthcare stakeholders with access to a centralized repository of healthcare occupational health and safety (OHS) education and training resources. Two of the primary goals of the Learning Portal are to reduce duplication and increase...

While there is no general wage increase, the 24-month extension provides a 3 per cent labour market adjustment in 2010 and in 2011. Thats in addition to the 4.2 per cent wage increase already negotiated and scheduled for April 1, 2009. HSA represents just over 800 Registered Psychiatric Nurses covered by the Nurses' Bargaining Association collective agreement. HSA's nurses will...

On February 6, 2009, the government tabled legislation that will radically change the rules governing pay equity in the federal public sector. The Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act - which has been included as part of the omnibus Budget Implementation Act - will remove the right of public sector workers to file complaints for pay equity with the Canadian Human...

Workers' Perspectives: A Violence in Healthcare survey The Provincial Violence Prevention Steering Committee (PVPSC) wants to hear about workers' experiences with violence to create an accurate picture of violence in healthcare workplaces. This survey is the first tool of its kind that will help identify priority areas for violence prevention efforts. If you are a BC healthcare worker, you are...