Essential Service Negotiations

Chief Steward Workshop/Planning Time

VARIOUS DATES: see options below
TIME: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
LOCATION: Virtual – WebEx details to follow
 
As preparations continue for negotiations for new collective agreements in the Health Science Professional Bargaining Association, Nurses’ Bargaining Association, and Community Bargaining Association collective agreements, HSA has scheduled education sessions for stewards to support the negotiation of essential service levels.
 
The setting of essential services levels is required by law where a labour dispute has the potential to threaten the health, safety, and welfare of British Columbians. Essential services are minimum levels of service that must be maintained during a strike or lockout. The Labour Relations Board can only designate services as essential and set minimum staffing levels in response to a labour dispute. It has no authority to designate services as essential or set minimum staffing levels in response to a natural disaster or pandemic.
 
Stewards play a key role when HSA is negotiating essential service levels.  This one-day training is available for Chief Stewards or their designate to learn and begin planning for upcoming essential service negotiations. 
 
Stewards covered by the HSPBA, NBA and CBA are invited to participate in one of the following dates. Each of the four days will include the same information, and stewards may only attend one session. 

• January 11
• January 18
• January 20
• January 27

Stewards will spend the morning with Alyson Warner, assistant membership services co-ordinator for servicing, and Sharon Geoghegan and Jennifer Brandt, education officers, to learn about essential services.
 
Topics to be covered:

• What are essential services and why do we need to negotiate them?
• How do we negotiate essential services and what is the steward role?
• Overview of what occurs during job action.

 
In the afternoon, stewards will be tasked with beginning the work by contacting HSA members in departments/sites and identifying primary contacts to support the work of setting essential services levels.
 
Prior to the training dates, HSA Labour Relations Officers (LROs) will be negotiating Job Action Headquarters for your facilities. Stewards may be contacted to discuss proposed locations and equipment needs.
 
Register early, space is limited.
 
Stewards who are interested in this workshop are asked to complete a registration application by logging into My Events Registration using the prompts provided. Workshops are listed under Other Events. Please call the HSA office at 604.517.0994 or 1.800.663.6119 if you do not know your HSA member ID number.