News & Updates

The Report: June / July 2000 vol.21 num.3 Typically, when a dispute arises in the workplace, HSAs stewards are able to resolve the issue, either through discussion or through filing a grievance. Sometimes, in the case of a particularly difficult situation or one that involves regional issues, the steward consults a labour relations officer, who then works with the steward...

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...

The Report: June / July 2000 vol.21 num.3 by RACHEL NOTLEY The Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare has approved $10,000 for HSA to continue research relating to on-call work. Last fall, HSA retained a PhD candidate from UBC to conduct a literature search on the issue of on-call work. Her findings showed that there were a variety of...

The Report: June / July 2000 vol.21 num.3 by YUKIE KURAHASHI When the management of Magnolia House announced last year that they would be closing the North Vancouver facility, the employees - including twelve HSA members - thought they would be losing their jobs. In fact, they were issued lay-off notices in April, and many workers had already started the...

The Report: June / July 2000 vol.21 num.3 by YUKIE KURAHASHI HSA has won a significant Workers' Compensation Board appeal, marking one of the first times the WCB has recognized psychological disability caused by workplace harassment for union activity. The WCB initially rejected the claim of the former HSA chief steward, who developed a disabling depression due to extensive and...

The Report: April / May 2000 vol.21 num.2 by MARYANN ABBS and YUKIE KURAHASHI My department manager insists that the budget is tight, and that there is no money for education leave this year. Is there anything that I can do about this? Traditionally, education leave is a very important issue for HSA members, who take pride in their expertise...

The Report: April / May 2000 vol.21 num.2 by YUKIE KURAHASHI Wendy Webb Radiation Therapist BC Cancer Agency - Cancer Centre for the Southern Interior People often ask Wendy Webb why she chose radiation therapy as a career. "I work with cancer patients every day, so people ask me if I find it really depressing," she says. "But its not...

The Report: April / May 2000 vol.21 num.2 Organizing efforts continue at MDS Vancouver Island HSA is continuing our efforts to organize over 250 employees at MDS Laboratories on Vancouver Island. These employees include lab technologists, lab assistants, and couriers. They work in analytical labs, as well as in patient service centres, which are community-based specimen collection facilities. Organizer Janice...

The Report: April / May 2000 vol.21 num.2 by CINDY STEWART This year, with convention being scheduled for the end of March, HSAs annual cycle is two months shorter then usual. In many contexts, two months may not seem like a long time, but it is significant when a 12-month cycle is tight at the best of times. We have...

The Report: April / May 2000 vol.21 num.2 During the past few months, the HSA office has received several inquiries about Bill 14, the new workers compensation legislation that was enacted by the provincial government last year. In response to those questions, HSAs occupational health and safety experts have produced this article, outlining the key changes in the legislation. In...