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Striking community social services workers deliver message to MLAs

March 15, 1999
Community social services workers resume job action this week, and will focus on delivering their message to provincial politicians that it's time to end wage and benefit discrimination for workers in this sector. Today, striking care-providers in the Lower Mainland will rally at Finance Minister Joy MacPhail's community office at 3:00 p.m. (2365 East Hastings, Vancouver).

Community social services workers resume strike Monday

March 12, 1999
Workers in the community social services sector will resume strikeaction on Monday, March 15. Pickets will go up at selected worksites inthe Lower Mainland and Prince George. The four unions representing workers in this sector -- B.C. Governmentand Service Employees' Union, Canadian Union of Public Employees,Hospital Employees' Union and Health Sciences Association - say thegovernment's refusal to address wage and benefit discrimination despitea two-day province-wide strike earlier this week leaves the unions withno other choice but to escalate job action.

HSA paramedical professionals vote 94 per cent in favour of Foley report

March 1, 1999
Paramedical professionals represented by the Health Sciences Association of BC have voted 94 per cent in favour of the contract recommended by Mediator Brian Foley. HSA represents more than 90 per cent of paramedical professionals across the province. "This contract is good news for HSA and for all paramedical professionals," says Chief Negotiator Rick Lampshire. "Given the current political and economic climate, we feel that this collective agreement is fair and equitable."

Community social services workers to commence strike on International Women's Day over wage discrimination

February 25, 1999
Ten thousand workers in the community social services sector will commence a province-wide strike on International Women's Day, March 8, in an effort to end wage and benefit discrimination for women in the sector. Negotiators for the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Hospital Employees' Union (HEU) and Health Sciences Association (HSA) outlined the strike strategy at a joint meeting of the bargaining committees in Richmond today.

How do you decide when to file a grievance?

February 1, 1999
The Report: February / March 1999 vol.19 num.6 EDITOR'S NOTE: We are departing from our usual format this issue toreprint an article by Judith McCormack, the former chair of the Ontario Labour RelationsBoard, and a lawyer with Sack Goldblatt Mitchell in Toronto.

Vital measures needed to rebuild medicare, improve the health of Canadians

February 1, 1999
The Report: February / March 1999 vol.19 num.6 A group of national and community organizations released an AlternativeFederal Budget in late January that says vital measures are needed to resuscitateCanadas ailing health care system and improve the social and economic well-being ofCanadians.

UI fund misused by Chrétien government

February 1, 1999
The Report: February / March 1999 vol.19 num.6 Heres how the unemployed paid down the federaldeficit by KEVIN HAYES Unemployment Insurance is at the heart of the Chrétiengovernments fiscal strategy. Cuts in UI benefits account for over half of thereduction in program expenditures since Paul Martins first budget in 1994.

What's up and what's not with union actions and grievances

February 1, 1999
The Report: February / March 1999 vol.19 num.6 Y2K bug = vacation ban?  Some health employers have stated recently that they will be banningall vacations for employees from December 31, 1999 to March 15, 2000. The employers arguethat the potential effects of a Y2K disaster on health care delivery warrants this move,and that health facilities may need staff available to institute manual systems in case ofa system crash.

Looking back: founding HSA member wins big at end of rewarding career

February 1, 1999
The Report: February / March 1999 vol.19 num.6 by YUKIE KURAHASHI In 1971, Pat Holisky was instrumental in the formation of HSA as aunion to represent the rights of paramedical professionals in the workplace. Twenty-eightyears later ... as she retires ... HSA was able to pay back a big debt of gratitude,with a significant settlement of a longstanding policy grievance.

Peer counselling: a comforting alternative

February 1, 1999
The Report: February / March 1999 vol.19 num.6 by LYN BLENKINSOP In September of 1997, I was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of 16health care workers, and one of five HSA members, to be trained by the Healthcare LabourAdjustment Agency to deliver peer counselling services to employees who have beendisplaced, threatened with future displacement or affected by changing skill requirements.

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