Community Health Services and Support

The multi-union Community Health Services and Support Bargaining Association has reached a tentative collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC). The two-year proposed agreement covers more than 14,000 workers in community health, and comes after one year of difficult negotiations. The agreement achieves members' key priorities including an across-the-board wage increase while protecting health and welfare benefits...

In 2005, David Bland -- a vocationalrehabilitation counsellor and HSA member from Richmond Mental Health -- wasmurdered at his workplace by a former client. His tragic death served asa sombre reminder that more needs to be done to prevent incidents of violencein the workplace and to protect health care and social services workers on thejob. Tohonour David, the HSA board...

Bargaining for the Community Health Services and Support sector reconvenes on Monday, January 7 in Vancouver following a break over the holidays. Members in the sector have been in bargaining for a year. There will be no job action this week, but if an agreement cannot be reached by the end of next week, rotating strike action will recommence starting...

In spite of an agreement reached between HSA and other health care unions and the Ministry of Health last week, some members continue to get pressure to either produce evidence of vaccination against seasonal influenza, or wear a mask during the flu season, which was declared open December 1. For members information, at the meeting held between the Ministry of...

Community Health bargaining is scheduled to resume January 7, 2013. When bargaining resumes in the new year, the bargaining committee is looking for the employer to bring a solid offer to the table that meets the needs of the Community Bargaining Association The CBA represents more than 14,000 members, the majority of whom are represented by the BCGEU. Other unions...

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4 IN AN IDEAL WORLD, STRIKES WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. Employees and employers would meet at the bargaining table, discuss bargaining proposals based upon reason, justice and mutual respect. They would use objective data and negotiate a settlement. In reality, that is often what happens. However, sometimes there are significantly different points of view about...

On the eve of the implementation of a new province-wide policy that threatened to fire health science professionals who refused to declare whether they had been vaccinated against seasonal flu, Health Sciences Association has negotiated an agreement that sees the government back off on the policys punitive aspects. This year, the Ministry of Health will focus on educational efforts and...

Community social services workers (represented by HSA) are on strike tomorrow, as are community health services and support workers (represented by CUPE) at Vancouver Community Mental Health. (HSA also represents health science professionals at VCMHS, who are not on strike.) Community health services and support Picketing commences at two VCMHS sites from early morning until 11am, when the picketers will...

The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) reviewed the employer's latest offer. Although a wage increase is included in the offer, it is tied securely to a corresponding "offset" (cost savings) from the collective agreement. The offset is matched by the employer to provide the wage increase. There is no guarantee built into the proposal that the wage increase will not be...

The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) has reviewed the employer's latest offer and has determined that there is no reason to return to the bargaining table at this time. The Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) continues to hold the position that an increase in wages must be accompanied by an offset found within the collective agreement. Given that there has...