HSA welcomes new members
The Report: June / July 2000 vol.21 num.3
Downtown Blanshard Advisory Committee
Welcome! to 51 new members at the Downtown Blanshard Advisory Committee, a Community Social Services facility.
Our new members work at nine sites in Victoria, and offer various family and community service programs. They work as youth and family counsellors, after school care workers, administrative assistants, outreach workers, child minders, and instructors / counsellors.
Okanagan Similkameen Neurological Society
HSA welcomes four new members at the Okanagan Similkameen Neurological Society. HSA was successfully organized the health services and support workers at this child development centre, in addition to the paramedical professional workers certified earlier this year. Our new members are a receptionist and three substitute teachers.
Nechako Valley Community Services
HSA is pleased to represent three new members at Nechako Valley Community Services. These members provide counselling, art therapy, and mental health services. These paramedical professionals were originally represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers, and will now be represented by HSA following an agreement between the unions.
Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services
Two paramedical professionals at Arrow & Slocan Lakes Community Services have joined HSA, by agreement with UFCW, their former union. Our new members provide community-based youth counselling, as well as alcohol and drug counselling services.
Organizing update on MDS labs
The Labour Relations Board has ruled against HSAs application to represent MDS laboratory employees on Vancouver Island. In their decision, the panel ruled that the geographic separation of the labs on the island from those on the mainland is offset by "the strong interdependence" of the operations. For this reason, the LRB concluded that separate bargaining units could lead to industrial instability. HSA is extremely disappointed with the decision, and is exploring further options with legal counsel.
The LRB had hoped that the affected parties could reach a satisfactory resolution to this issue with assistance from LRB Registrar Lisa Hansen and Vice-Chair John Hall.
In an April 12 statement, the LRB said that "whenever possible the Board should embark on a facilitative role rather than an adjudicative role." Unfortunately, after a one-day meeting on April 28, it was clear that an agreement could not be reached and the LRB had to issue a ruling on the original hearing.