Fighting to protect and enhance HSA's classification system
The Report: June / July 2000 vol.21 num.3
HSA Classifications staff are responsible for the myriad issues that flow from negotiating, implementing, and administrating the classifications systems of four master collective agreements: the Paramedical Professional Collective Agreement, the Nurses Collective Agreement, the Health Services and Support Community Subsector Agreement, and the Community Social Services Collective Agreement.
The area has three staff: Kathy McLennan is the Advocate / Classifications, Sue Carr is the Senior Labour Relations Officer / Classifications, and Elaine de Koning is the Administrative Secretary.
The work in the area is complex and includes:
- representing HSA on a joint job classification committee with HEABC, established through a Memorandum of Agreement in the Paramedical Professional Collective Agreement.
- representing HSA in negotiations to develop community benchmarks, a classification manual and maintenance agreement, and rates of pay as part of the Job Evaluation and Classification Process for the Health Services & Support-Community Subsector.
- representing HSA in negotiations to develop a Job Evaluation Plan for the CSSEA Collective Agreement that will eventually match some 800 current HSA positions to benchmarks.
- preparing cases for members awaiting levelling under the Taylor Levelling Process.
- processing classification grievances referred to Stage 3 by labour relations officers.
- processing job descriptions and negotiating appropriate job rates with HEABC.
There is a significant volume of information solicited and generated by the department. Perhaps you have had the pleasure of completing one of numerous questionnaires developed recently to assist the staff in determining your appropriate classification?
All this is facilitated by the Administrative Secretary for the Classifications area, Elaine de Koning. She generates mailings, receives and organizes responses, maintains paper and electronic files, conducts file searches, arranges meetings and works to help keep the department running efficiently.