Keeping HSA on track, up and running

The Report: August / September 2000 vol.21 num.4

by YUKIE KURAHASHI

Administrative Secretaries
Without the Administrative Secretaries, the HSA office would likely grind to a halt. Their daily efforts facilitate the work of the labour relations staff, and HSA members enjoy the result: consistent, quality service.

Each of HSAs Administrative Secretaries balances a variety of duties, and supports the work of up to five labour relations staff. In addition to word processing, filing, and faxing, they process incoming and outgoing correspondence, make travel arrangements, book rooms for meetings, and respond to HSA members requests for information and materials.

Given that most of their work is done at the accelerated pace demanded in the world of labour relations, HSAs Administrative Secretaries also have the uncanny ability to locate files and documents in a heartbeat. Whether its the memorandum of agreement signed eleven years ago needed for a hearing tomorrow, or that bulletin sent four months ago that a steward would like to refer to at a labour-management meeting later in the afternoon, its likely to be found in plenty of time.

Stewards are probably familiar with the voices of Mairie Evans and Lisa Mar, who job-share duties at the reception desk. While answering the phones promptly and professionally, they also distribute incoming mail and maintain the fax machines in the office.

Lorraine Mack, as Administrative Secretary / Coordinator, provides supervision and support to the Administrative Secretaries, in addition to providing secretarial support to five labour relations staff. She is also responsible for ordering office supplies and equipment, as necessary.

Members signing up for HSA stewards workshops will likely make arrangements through Susan Isaacson and Sharon Derton, or Lorraine Mack in the case of safety steward workshops. Susan, Sharon and Lorraine are responsible for organizing all the materials, food and hotel accommodations necessary for steward workshops.

Accounting staff
HSAs accounting staff ensure that the unions bills are paid on time, including salaries and benefits for staff, and wage reimbursement and expenses for members working on behalf of the union. They also ensure that dues are collected in a timely fashion from the payroll departments of employer facilities around the province.

Accountant Peggy Lavigueur oversees the various accounting areas, which include Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll. She is responsible for administering the unions budget, which this year exceeds $7 million.

Teresa Lonn, Denise Harvey, and Donna Walsh together share 1.75 full time equivalent positions in Accounts Payable. They are responsible for paying the day-to-day operational bills for the union, as well as reimbursing members for expenses incurred in attending HSA events. They also serve as a valuable information source for members with regard to expense claims and wage replacement.

Nur Ram is the Accounts Receivable Clerk. Her primary responsibility is making sure the union receives the proper membership dues in a timely way from various employer facilities, and following up when cheques sometimes go amiss. With well over two hundred employers to keep track of, this is no small task.

Payroll Clerk Jan Laxton is responsible for HSAs staff payroll and benefits. Because some of HSAs casual relief staff are seconded from their regular worksites in health or social services, the complex task of coordinating the facility and HSA wages and benefits is part of her regular duties.

Information Technology staff
HSAs Information Technology staff are responsible for maintaining computer systems and equipment, and for overseeing HSAs complex database systems. Their combined efforts are geared towards maximizing the quality of service provided to members through the HSA office.

In the world of ever-advancing technologies, HSAs IT staff work to maintain efficient and robust computerized systems so that HSA office staff have the full benefit of computer innovations, but without the headaches this can sometimes entail.

IT Network Administrator Chris Kozaryn and IT Assistant Network Administrator Mark Wyszynski maintain all computer-related equipment in the HSA office, which includes five servers, approximately 50 computer workstations, and several network printers. They also look after the phone system, as well as the firewall protecting the computer system from external interference. HSA staff rely heavily on the IT Systems staff for their troubleshooting expertise with various hardware and software problems.

IT Special Projects Coordinator Rod Browne works closely with Database Clerk Pat Blomme in developing, maintaining and continuously updating HSAs extensive membership database systems. These computerized record-keeping systems track a variety of data on our membership, worksites and certifications, chapters and stewards, employers, member job descriptions and classifications, union dues, and grievances. This information is invaluable to staff in carrying out day-to-day office functions, as well as in specific research tasks as often required in labour relations.

The Special Projects Coordinator is also responsible for the design and administration of this website, www.hsabc.org.

Most HSA chief stewards are probably also familiar with Pat as the contact person for HSAs provincial fax network. Approximately two hundred fax caretakers around the province ... mostly chief stewards ... provide a key communications link with HSA members, and act as a conduit for news and information sent out through the HSA office. This network is also used by the stewards to communicate with HSA staff and Regional Directors. The Database Clerk is responsible for maintaining this important network.

If you have recently moved, please notify the Database Clerk of your change of address by mailing or faxing in the form found on the back cover of The Report magazine, or by email: @email.