The following article was written in 1996 on the occasion of HSA's 25th anniversary.

by DAN KEETON

HSA was formed in 1971 by representatives from a number of groups, including dietitians, medical record librarians, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and X-ray and laboratory technologists. Individually each group had a small voice. Collectively, they formed a strong organization that could have an impact.

HSA has 'Association' rather than 'Union' in its name because of historical roots. Although always legally a union, originally HSA's constitution guaranteed that its members would not strike. This was because members viewed strike as a conflict with their responsibilities to their patients.

In 1975, after negotiations had continued for six months without even a wage offer from the employer, members at the annual convention angrily voted to remove the "no-strike" clause. (Within two weeks the employer presented an offer).

Since that time, the controversy between "professional" and "union" members has diminished; HSA members have learned that HSA and the law make ample provision for the safety of patients even in the event of a strike, and that the final responsibility for safety and patient care rests with the employer.

Another significant step in HSA's evolution occurred at the 1981 annual convention. The previous year the BC Nurses' Union obtained a contract which put its members' wages 11 per cent ahead of HSA's members. In a demonstration of determination to regain comparable wages, HSA members voted to increase their union dues from $10 monthly, to $25, and to put that money into a defence fund to provide strike pay or other means that could help regain comparability.

The 1982 annual convention brought about two major changes in HSA. First, members changed the traditional Executive Council representation from a basis of occupational discipline, to one of geography. In HSA's early days, there were ten disciplines which made up the membership, and these disciplines each elected Councillors. With growth in sophistication of technology and membership, the number of paramedical groups included in HSA grew dramatically and the system of discipline representation was inadequate. Therefore, at the 1982 annual convention, delegates overwhelmingly agreed to change to a system of regional representation.

The second issue concerned delegate representation at the annual convention. The previous system allowed any member to attend convention and vote on the issues. The debate was heated but, in the end, the convention voted to adopt a system where all members could attend and speak at convention, but only delegates could vote on the issues.

By 1983, HSA was part of a large alliance in British Columbia - Operation Solidarity and the Solidarity Coalition. HSA members participated in rallies and demonstrations opposing the Social Credit government's budget and legislation. The provincial government had limited spending on health care, cut back the powers of hospital boards, allowed for dismissal without cause of public employees, and continued the 1982 legislation limiting public sector wage increases (the Compensation Stabilization Amendment Act).

At the 1986 annual convention, HSA members decided to join the National Union of Public and General Employees. This decision gave HSA a national voice on issues that affect the education, health, and economics of union members and society as a whole.

By far the single most important event of 1986 was the HSA's first strike for the Master Collective Agreement, which won the best contract settlement in the public sector.

In 1987, HSA fought Bill 19, the anti-labour legislation ushered in by the newly elected provincial government under Premier Bill Vander Zalm. HSA members around the province participated in a one-day walkout opposing the legislation. HSA, as well as other unions, boycotted the legislation until the Bill was withdrawn in 1991 by the NDP government. That same year, HSA convention delegates decided to join the BC Federation of Labour.

In 1989 bargaining focused on the issue of pay equity. A study commissioned by HSA showed that wages of HSA's female members with similar qualifications to men were, on average, 24 per cent behind male wages. In time, HSA reached a tentative settlement with HLRA (Health Labour Relations Association), just as the BCNU walked out for what was to become the longest strike in the history of BC public health care. HSA and HEU members respected the BCNU picket lines but felt frustrated when a high number of nurses continued to work under their essential services agreement with HLRA. The nurses strike was finally successful due to the strong support from both HEU and HSA.

Wage controls hit again in 1991, with the Socred government’s Compensation Fairness Act. The new program, like the 1983 wage controls, kept public sector wage settlements behind the rate of inflation. Thus, HSA found itself questioning its role in the broader context, beyond collective bargaining and "bread and butter issues." The 1991 convention delegates endorsed a position paper which recommended that the union become involved in political and human rights issues because "Every time we promote fair labour legislation or better health care policies, we engage in politics."

A change of provincial government in 1991 brought radical changes to health care. Traditional acute-care services were transferred to community clinics. This restructuring meant the loss of thousands of jobs in the acute-care sector as government moved health care services to the community and reduced the number of available hospital beds.

The health care unions urged an orderly transition to community-based care. The government responded, and negotiations among the unions, the employers and the government began in early 1993. In July, an Employment Security Agreement was ratified by members of HSA, BCNU and HEU. For three years health care workers enjoyed what might be termed 'relative stability within the throes of major change.' The Health Labour Accord - the full name for the process which guaranteed virtually no layoffs, job retraining, job sharing and fully paid re-education, with the operations handled by local committees which included union representatives - gave labour a voice in the changes which affect its destiny.

As a result of health care reform in BC, the Health Sector Labour Relations Commission (also known as the Dorsey Commission, or Bill 48) was appointed in January of 1995. The recommendations of the commission included a reduction in the number of unions in the health sector from 19 to seven. HSA became part of a bargaining association with the BCGEU representing paramedical professionals in health care. This meant HSA would gain members and lose members. Some HSA members in all-employee certifications had to vote to pick another union to represent them, as they could not be part of the paramedical professional bargaining unit. Paramedical professionals in other unions such as CUPE and the Professional Employees' Association chose to join HSA. Registered psychiatric nurses in the health sector also chose HSA to represent them.

In March 1996, HSA prepared for hard bargaining. The primary issue sought by all health care unions was a new Employment Security Agreement and once again, the employers' group - now renamed the Health Employers Association of BC - resisted. BCNU, HEU, HSA, the BCGEU, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, all took positive strike votes. The government stepped in, appointed mediator Vince Ready and proposed legislation - Bill 21 (the Education and Health Collective Bargaining Assistance Act), which forbade strikes and lockouts and allowed Ready, now appointed Industrial Inquiry Commissioner, to make recommendations which could be imposed as a settlement. Following a provincial election which returned the NDP to office, the government imposed a settlement which extended employment security for one year after displacement and referred several contentious items to employer-employee committees to be resolved by early 1998.

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