News & Updates

The Report: September / October 2002 vol.23 num.4 by CAROL RIVIERE with YUKIE KURAHASHI early three-quarters of community social services workers experienced a violent incident at their workplaces in the past year. Thats part of the findings of an eye-opening survey of social service workers in BC. HSA Steward Angela Nguyen, a womens counsellor at Victoria Transition House, said she...

The Report: September / October 2002 vol.23 num.4 by YUKIE KURAHASHI oncerned lab technologists and other health workers in the Thompson-Cariboo-Chilcotin health service area were appalled this summer when their administration announced plans to replace rural labs with a hand-held blood-testing device. Hospital laboratories in rural towns including Lytton, Chase, Logan Lake, Ashcroft, Barriere and Clearwater were slated for outright...

Mediator Grant MacArthur is poised to issue recommendations to settle a collective agreement at Deltassist Family and Community Services. Two unions, the Health Sciences Association (HSA) and the Canadian Autoworkers Union (CAW) represent about 40 employees at Deltassist.HSA negotiator Dave Martin said following two days of mediation last week around a framework settlement agreement devised by the mediator, very few...

Late Tuesday afternoon the Labour Relations Board issued its written decision setting the boundaries for new expanded seniority lists in the health care sector. This follows an oral decision delivered Friday. The decision is available for download as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file, with an accompanying separate appendix listing worksites by area. LRB written decision (PDF file - 192KB -...

EB02.15HSA is offering Basic and Advanced OH&S courses this fall. Courses will be held at the HSA Office, 300 - 5118 Joyce St., Vancouver. HSA BASIC OH&S COURSEOccupational health and safety issues are very important to HSA members. OH&S Stewards have a vital role in promoting a safe work environment and helping to prevent injuries. This workshop will be participatory...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 Youth counsellor fears for youths he young people Katrina Kiefer works with are at risk in any number of ways. For many of them, Kiefer and the alternate school program she leads have offered the last chance to remain in the education system and begin building a successful life. Katrina Kiefer Youth...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 by JEANNE MEYERS n the aftermath of a legislative onslaught by the Gordon Campbell government, described in a recent Globe and Mail national editorial as “legislative vandalism,” HSA’s legal department has been working on many fronts to counter the government’s agenda. Several labour relations matters are currently before the Labour Relations Board...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 by BRUCE WILKINS I am a permanent part-time pharmacist. My position is designated a 0.5 Full Time Equivalent (half time, in other words), but because of staff shortages, I regularly work extra hours to help out in the department. Do these extra hours count in the calculation of the supplemental employment benefits...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 by JACKIE SPAIN On April 23, the provincial Liberal government brought together the six regional health authorities in Vancouver to announce radical changes to BCs health care system. Because Health Services Minister Colin Hansen deliberately left some details very vague, it took some time for health care advocates to figure out what...