Remarks by Cindy Stewart

Thank you for coming tonight.

I want to start my comments by saying the actions of HSA members right across British Columbia these past two days have not been about defying legislation. They have been about achieving a collective agreement.

HSA members have shown they are resolved to get a contract that values their contribution to our health care system.

They have been demonstrating for the past two days that the offer put to them in this round of bargaining is offensive in the extreme.

It values some health care workers more than others.

The HEABC offer currently on the table says to a significant number of highly trained and educated health science professionals that they are undervalued members of our health care team.

I have always said that HSA members are not pushovers.

They've shown that this last couple of days.

But they are also pragmatic. They are reasonable. They are professional.

Today at 4 p.m., HSA was served with a copy of a notice of motion filed by HEABC in the Supreme Court of BC. We have had our legal team in this evening and have taken some time to review the document.

In consultation with our legal team, we met as a board of directors to consider the options available to us.

Our board of directors represents HSA members throughout the province. They have been in constant contact with the membership and local activists these past couple of days and throughout our job action that started on May 23rd.

After the government imposed back to work legislation June 20th and ordered ourselves and the employers back to the bargaining table, we complied. We wanted to work at the bargaining table to achieve a fair collective agreement.

We went to the table prepared to negotiate. The employer didn't.

We then canvassed our membership about what they wanted to do to stand up for a fair collective agreement.

They told us they were prepared to defy the legislation - if that's what it took to get the message to the government and the employer.

I have always looked to my membership to lead this union. We are a democratic organization. We take our direction from the members. We set our policy at the direction of the members.

Tonight, HSA's board of directors, as representatives of the members, made a difficult decision.

Effective immediately, our strike is off.

We are doing this because we know our membership. And I know HSA members would be very concerned about appearing to be disrespectful to the court. That is an important factor in reaching this decision.

But this decision, like every decision this board has taken around our bargaining was also based on our primary objective - that is to achieve a collective agreement.

I am so proud of HSA members for the resolve they have shown.

They have served notice that HSA isn't going to stand for treatment that values health science professionals any less than the other professionals who deliver health care in British Columbia.

I want to say that the support our members have received from the public has been overwhelming. And I want to say on behalf of my members that we appreciate your understanding and support during this very difficult time.

We know that our actions over the last two days has made British Columbians are aware of our essential role in the health care system.

And we will carry that support and our resolve back to the bargaining table with us.

Thank you.

For more information, contact:
Miriam Sobrino, Director of Communications
(604)439-0994 or 328-2886