News & Updates

Mediator Brian Foley has advised the Paramedical Professional Bargaining Association that his report recommending terms of settlement for a collective agreement will not be released this afternoon as planned. Mr. Foley will release his report in one week, on Wednesday, January 27.In a letter to the unions and employers, Mr. Foley said that he requires more time to give due...

The Paramedical Professional Bargaining Association announced this afternoon that they will return to the bargaining table Friday, January 15. The announcement came in response to a request by Labour Minister Dale Lovick that the unions and employers return the table with Mediator Brian Foley."We have agreed to continue mediated talks," said Cindy Stewart, President of the Health Sciences Association of...

Paramedical professionals to begin job action Monday, January 11Mediated talks between the Paramedical Professional Bargaining Association and the Health Employers' Association of BC broke down this afternoon after the employer presented a revised proposal that fails to address the unions' key bargaining issues and still contains significant concession demands.More than 10,000 paramedical professionals will begin job action on Monday, January...

Unions say mediation has been a "complete waste of time"The Paramedical Professional Bargaining Association today announced that it will issue 72-hour strike notice to the Health Employers' Association of BC on Tuesday, January 5. Cindy Stewart, President of the Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA), says HEABC's intransigence at the bargaining table leaves the unions with no other choice."Our bargaining...

The Report: January 1999 vol.19 num.5 by CINDY STEWART The recent job action taken by HSA paramedical professionals clearlygave our bargaining team the momentum we needed to get a fair collective agreement. Byputting pressure on health employers, we were able to get the provincial governmentinvolved in our negotiations, forcing HEABC to address our issues seriously. But our job action strategy...

The Report: January 1999 vol.19 num.5 by JACKIE SPAIN About two years ago I was in the process of deciding whether I had theright skill set ... and indeed the determination, motivation and conviction ... tohold the position of HSA Regional Director for Region 9 (Kootenays). I was also at the point that I knew it was time to embark...

The Report: January 1999 vol.19 num.5 Welcome to new members at the Central Okanagan Child Development Association HSA extends a warm welcome to 63 new members at the Central OkanaganChild Development Association in Kelowna. Our new members at COCDA include physiotherapists, occupationaltherapists, speech / language pathologists, infant development consultants, preschoolteachers, clerical workers, and supported child care workers. The employer at...

The Report: January 1999 vol.19 num.5 The BC Business Summit has not delivered on its promise of new ideasfor reviving the BC economy, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. -All we have heard is a repeat of the same old ideas the businesslobby has been pushing for decades: lower taxes, cut regulations, privatize services, andrepeal labour and environmental...

The Report: January 1999 vol.19 num.5 by RACHEL NOTLEY and CAROL RIVIERE HSA is assisting with a study of the effect of occupational chemicalexposure on the respiratory health of various groups of health care professionals. Thisstudy is being conducted by members of the Occupational and Environmental Lung DiseasesResearch Unit of the Department of Medicine, in conjunction with the Occupational HygieneProgramme...

The Report: January 1999 vol.19 num.5 by SARAH O'LEARY Can I be fired for being absent too often from work? If you are absent from work on a prolonged basis due to a chronic, long-term health problem, you are protected by the BC Human Rights Code. The Code imposes a duty on the part of the employer to seek some...