Cease and desist: HSA files policy grievance to stop wage rollback for pharmacists
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," she said. -We believe HEABCs action contravenes the collective agreement. Theres absolutely no question HEABCs notice to cut pharmacists wages by 9 to 14 per cent is short-sighted and ill-considered." Last Friday, a group of representative HSA pharmacists met to mount a strategy to oppose the rollback.
-The group underlined the serious patient concerns that all BC hospital pharmacists share. Together, weve come up with several key actions pharmacists, other health care workers, patients, and indeed all British Columbians can take to avoid a crisis in our hospitals," she said.
Letter writing campaign website: pharmacistsmatter.ca
HSA has launched a website to help people send a message to the Premier and the Minister of Health.
-The government must recognize that by suddenly imposing a unilateral wage rollback on hospital pharmacists, the provinces health care system is jeopardized," Meyers said.
-In addition to the pain and suffering of patients and families that a serious medication incident can cause, one or two serious incidents as a result of pharmacist short-staffing are likely to cost the health system more money than what HEABC will save with their wage rollback."
The website helps you send a letter with just a couple of clicks. Please go to the website, and share the information with your friends and supporters: pharmacistsmatter.ca
Telephone town hall meeting: Wednesday, January 18
All pharmacists for whom HSA has a personal email address and/or home phone number have now been sent invitations to participate in a telephone hall meeting on Wednesday, January 18, at 7pm.
If you have not received an invitation, please contact @email or make sure your contact info is up to date at http://www.hsabc.org/register.php -- please update your contact information by 4 pm on Tuesday, January 17 to be included in the town hall meeting.