News & Updates

Three weeks of negotiations for the renewal of the Community Health collective agreement covering 14,000 health care and administrative workers in the Community Health sub-sector concluded on Saturday, June 16 in Vancouver. Talks are scheduled to resume on July 9, 2012 for one week. The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) tabled monetary proposals on Friday, June 15. The unions are asking...

Chilliwack Times Another union is calling for consultation before the Fraser Health Authority follows through on its plan to shut down an inpatient rehabilitation unit at Chilliwack General Hospital. The Health Sciences Association (HSA), which represents physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and other rehab specialists at the Chilliwack hospital, said the plan to replace a 20bed sub-acute unit with outpatient...

Negotiations aimed at concluding a new contract covering 16,000 health care and administrative workers in the Community Health Services and Support sub-sector continued last week in Vancouver. Talks will continue.On Monday and again on Wednesday last week, the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) presented a broad based benefits proposal. The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) is reviewing the proposals...

Bargaining discussions between the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) for a new collective agreement for BCs health science professionals will resume at the end of August.HSPBA Chief Negotiator Jeanne Meyers said the delay in bargaining is disappointing. The collective agreement, like many public sector collective agreements, expired on March 31, 2011.-Health science...

The union representing rehabilitation therapists at Chilliwack General Hospital is joining community leaders in calling for consultation before the hospitals rehab unit is unilaterally closed. The Health Sciences Association represents physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and other rehab specialists across BC, including at Chilliwack General Hospital. HSA President Reid Johnson said a unilateral closure of the rehab unit is a...

Health care professionals across the country will be staging a National Day of Action for Refugee Health Care on Monday, June 18 to protest the Conservative government's cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).National organizations representing several health professions, including the Canadian Association of Social Workers and the Canadian Pharmacists Association, are organizing events to protest these drastic cuts...

Strike vote meetingsCommunity Social Services members represented by HSA are continuing to participate across the province at multi-union information and strike vote meetings. Click here for a complete list of strike vote meetings, or visit http://www.hsabc.org/viewBulletins.php?nid=1386&cat= Questions? Difficulty getting to the polls? HSA's Community Social Service members are encouraged to contact the office by email at: @email. Telephone town hall...

HSAs younger workers are a crucial and dynamic part of our union. In recent years, weve identified shifting attitudes, needs, and ideas from these members. For a better understanding of these needs and to develop a strategy for more effectively engaging and mobilizing younger workers, HSA is invites your participation in a collaborative project. To inform future HSA services and...

HSA has resolved a long-standing classification dispute with HEABC that involved 135 grievances and affected many more HSA members working in counselling professions.-The settlement agreement provides a continuing, consistent approach to classifying these jobs, which is important for ensuring that health science professionals receive fair compensation for their scope of responsibility" Kathy McLennan, HSA Membership Services Coordinator, said.A process is...

Talks broke down yesterday between the provincial government, employers and the ten unions representing BC's 15,000 community social services workers. As a result, there will be a strike vote for all unionized workers in the sector. Outstanding issues include: wages, benefits, sick leave, reimbursable expenses and concessionary demands by the employer, including revisiting improvements gained in the last round of...