News & Updates

Striking community social services workers belonging to the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union and Health Sciences Association got a boost from their national union yesterday.The 320,000-member National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is putting its $5 million strike fund at the disposal of the striking workers, should they need it. The BCGEU and HSA are components of...

Workers at Fraserside Community Services will set up a picket line tomorrow (May 5) at the Ministry for Children and Families office at 237 E. Columbia Street in New Westminster, a worksite they share with the Ministry.Also tomorrow, community social services workers in Victoria will hold a rally outside the office of the Public Sector Employers' Council located at 468...

Unions representing striking community social services workers today called on Premier Glen Clark to follow through on the government's commitment to end wage and benefit discrimination against the workers."There seems to be a communications problem in Victoria," CUPE negotiator Bill Harper said at a strike co-ordination meeting in Burnaby today. "The government's commitment to equity is not being reflected at...

The Report: May / June 1999 vol.19 num.7 by KELLY FINLAYSON In contemplating what to write for my report as Director for Region 1, mythoughts cross many boundaries. There are many things I want to communicate to and aboutmy members, the people who work in our 41 HSA sites on Vancouver Island from Duncan north,the Sechelt Peninsula including Powell River...

The Report: May / June 1999 vol.19 num.7 by HANNELORE GIDORA A new Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, to replace theold Industrial Health and Safety Regulation, came into effect on April 15, 1998. Employerswere given a one-year grace period to work towards compliance. As of April 15, 1999, thisyear is up, so that almost all of the requirements are now...

The Report: May / June 1999 vol.19 num.7 by YUKIE KURAHASHI Jerome Bouvier, championship tennis player and school-based prevention worker for SHARE Family and Community Services Picture this: you are 24 years old. You live the fast life in LA: parties,celebrities, race horses, booze and drugs. Its a gorgeous day for waterskiing on theCalifornia coast ... but youre drunk. Suddenly...

The Report: May / June 1999 vol.19 num.7 HSA welcomes CDC health services and support workers Fifteen employees at Fort St. John Child Development Centrejoined HSA in February. These new members work in health services and support at the FortSt. John and Fort Nelson sites of the Centre in administration and child care. Welcome to new member atCedarview Lodge HSA...

The Report: May / June 1999 vol.19 num.7 by MARC LEE The recent provincial budget was, for many commentators, a real dog. After all,$890 million is an awfully big number for a late-1990s provincial deficit. But there isgood reason to step back and put the numbers in their proper context. Despite all of thebarking, the bite is not really that...

The Report: May / June 1999 vol.19 num.7 by LYN BLENKINSOP Over the last three years it has been my very great privilege to have receivedHSA scholarships to train as a Union Counsellor. This has been one of the most valuableand rewarding experiences of my twenty-one years as an HSA member. The Union Counselling program is mainly taught at the...

The Report: May / June 1999 vol.19 num.7 by JUDITH McCORMACK In BC, the law is clear on workers who have asubstance addiction: the employer must make every reasonable effort to accommodate aworkers disabilities by either allowing her to take time to get treatment for aproblem, or by providing some alternate form of employment at the worksite. For example, an...