News & Updates

The Report: August 2003 vol.24 num.4 by CINDY STEWART C NDP leader Joy MacPhail announced early in June that she will not be seeking the leadership of the party at the convention this coming November. In making her announcement, she said that in the two years since the Liberal government’s landslide victory, her party has not only survived but is...

The Report: August 2003 vol.24 num.4 by CAROLE PEARSON n El Salvador, health care workers, including doctors, have been on strike for nine months to protest government efforts to privatize the countrys health system. Salvadoran President Francisco Flores and the ruling National Republican Alliance (ARENA) party claim privatizing the health system will bring health care -to each according to the...

The Report: August 2003 vol.24 num.4 he Competition Bureau of Canada has agreed to investigate a complaint filed against the pricing practices of major drug companies. Initiated by the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) in co-operation with a coalition of unions, seniors groups and consumer watchdogs, the complaint alleges anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry. “This is...

A move by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority to privatize thousands of surgical procedures has staggering implications for public health care, says a medicare advocacy organization.And the BC Health Coalition is calling on Health Services Minister Colin Hansen to order a stop to the health authority's plans to contract out publicly insured surgeries and hold public hearings on the government's...

The Report: June / July 2003 vol.24 num.3 by DAN KEETON Perhaps it was all those lonely hours staring through a microscope – something laboratory technologist Heather Sapergia enjoys, although she also seeks out human interaction. Or maybe it’s due to her belief that if you want something changed, you must get inside of it and change it yourself. Heather...

The Report: June / July 2003 vol.24 num.3 by RITU MAHIL Are union stewards entitled to their full regular salary when they perform steward duties during work time? Yes. Article 5.09 of the collective agreement provides that “Union stewards shall be allowed reasonable time while on duty without loss of salary consistent with the operational requirements of the employer to...

The Report: June / July 2003 vol.24 num.3 by JENNY ROBERTSON hange has become an old friend in Region 4, and probably also in yours, ever since the federal Liberals first slashed provincial transfer payments. Now we can blame even more change on the BC Liberals as they take us in overnight legislative sessions to places where we thought wed...

The Report: June / July 2003 vol.24 num.3 by JEANNE MEYERS s we move into the third year of the Liberal regime we can begin to put wins and losses into some perspective. Faced with legislation that rolls back years of hard fought gains at the bargaining table, the union has begun the difficult process of reclaiming lost ground. In...

The Report: June / July 2003 vol.24 num.3 by CINDY STEWART s delegates to HSA’s 32nd annual convention wrapped up proceedings of this year’s two-day meeting, the room was filled with a sense of a renewed energy to take on the tasks of the coming years. Delegates left united in our resolve to ensure HSA is front and centre when...

The Report: June / July 2003 vol.24 num.3 ew information is coming out daily about how SARS can be transmitted and the type of precautions required to prevent infection. HSA encourages concerned members to check the web sites listed below for periodic updates. This article is based on what was known as of the date The Report went to press...