News & Updates

The Report: June / July 2005 vol.26 num.3 by BRUCE WILKINS I work in a position covered by the Paramedical Professional Bargaining Association collective agreement. Our employer has recently reorganized our workplace as a costcutting measure. My colleagues and I are concerned that our patients are no longer getting the level of care they need. We have brought our concerns...

The Report: June / July 2005 vol.26 num.3 by LAURA BUSHEIKIN ikki Maier likens her entry into HSA involvement to catching the bridal bouquet at a wedding. Last May, she had just started her job as Educator/Speakers Bureau Coordinator at the Living Positive Resource Centre, an AIDS service organization in Kelowna. She was sitting in the office with another coworker...

The Report: June / July 2005 vol.26 num.3 by DAN KEETON here are many HSA members who received excellent grades while training for their profession. But how many achieve one of Canadas top academic honours while studying for a new health sciences career? Di Cindy Wu Laboratory Technologist Surrey Memorial Hospital Di Cindy Wu, who works evening and night shifts...

BL10054HEABC and HSA have failed to reach an agreement on an appropriate wage rate and other classification issues arising from the Biomedical Engineering Technologists (BMETs) placement into the Paramedical Professional Collective Agreement as a result of a May 6th ruling by the Labour Relations Board. The LRB ruling simply places the BMETs into the existing PPBA agreement and is not...

BL10050 The BC Labour Relations Board has ruled that two hundred Biomedical Engineering Technologists working in BC hospitals are appropriately represented by HSA.This follows a previous ruling by the LRB that designated Biomedical Engineering Technologists as paramedical professionals, but did not resolve the issue of union representation. HSA holds the paramedical professional certification at all of the hospitals where Biomedical...

EB05-08 Last chance to apply for fundingParamedical Bargaining Association members are eligible to apply for Education Leave Funding.The one million dollar Education Leave Fund, a provision of the 2001 - 2004 Paramedical Professional Collective Agreement, provided financial assistance to health science professionals to attend educational programs for professional advancement and career enhancement. This was one-time funding and insufficient funds remain...

Front-line providers not allowed to tellThe gag order on front-line health care workers at St. Pauls Hospital is not an isolated case, says Health Sciences Association President Cindy Stewart.-Health care providers are afraid to speak out about the deteriorating conditions in the health care system. Conditions for patients are getting worse, and the health care professionals are under a gag...

An agency of the United Nations has again condemned the Campbell Liberal government for violating workers human rights by contravening international labour standards that Canadian governments are supposed to uphold.In a highly critical report released recently, the International Labour Organization(ILO) uses blunt language to condemn the BC government for clear violations offreedom of association principles. It also put pressure on...

Delegates to the 34 th annual convention of the Health Sciences Association of BC have re-elected Cindy Stewart, a physiotherapist from Vernon, as their president for another two years. Stewart defeated challenger Derrick Hoyt, a lab technologist from Victoria.Stewart has been President of HSA since 1993. The union represents more than 12,000 health care and social services professional across BC...

Burnaby, April 8-9, 2005The Health Sciences Association of BC will hold its annual convention at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, 6083 McKay Ave., Burnaby. About 300 delegates, observers and staff are expected to attend.Convention delegates will debate resolutions ranging from internal union to political action and social justice issues.The convention will be called to order at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, April...