Job action shuts hospital imaging for the day; Non-essential procedures cancelled last Friday as Delta Hospital targeted in rotating work stoppages

Delta Hospital was targeted for job action last Friday

Patients scheduled for medical imaging procedures were notified their appointments had been cancelled.

The Health Sciences Association (HSA), represented by the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), last week said rotating strikes at various facilities would take place on Thursday and Friday.

This occurred despite health science professionals returning to the bargaining table with the Health Employers' Association of B.C.

Delta Hospital was targeted for job action Friday, but the employees, whose contract expired March 31, didn't set up picket lines.

Pharmacists at hospitals on Thursday began the first day of job action by scaling back services for the day.

Imaging personnel, who do X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and other imaging procedures, reduced their workload to "essential services" the following day.

Fraser Health said health authorities, unions and the Labour Relations Board have established essential service levels for all health care services in the province, so last week's job action was not a complete withdrawal of service.

Spokesperson Roy Thorpe-Dorward said 72hour notice is required before any job action is taken and, so far, no there's been no notification of further action beyond last week's disruption.

Ladner's Dave Roberts, who was to have an ultrasound at Delta Hospital last Friday, said he is angered that patients are being put on the front line.

"I was told all the outpatient facilities have been cancelled. If it is the union causing this, they're certainly barking up the wrong bloody tree by affecting patients," said Roberts.

Waiting a month for his test, Roberts got a call last Thursday notifying him his procedure was cancelled. Fortunately, he managed to get a time slot this week.

The HSPBA collective agreement covers 16,187 employees spanning many professional and technical disciplines.

Some of the other unions represented by the HSPBA include the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Professional Employees' Association and Hospital Employees' Union.

The two sides in the dispute announced they have agreed to mediation and have brought in mediator Vince Ready.