The Joint Community Social Services Labour Adjustment & Education Fund is now accepting applications from members working in the community social services sector.   Successful applicants may receive up to $5,000 (lifetime maximum) to take eligible courses.

The labour adjustment and education funds are available through a grant from the provincial government resulting from a joint request made by the Community Social Services Bargaining Association and the Community Social Services Employers Association, during the negotiation of the 2010 ... 2012 collective agreement.

The federal government is turning its back on health care at a time when we need our elected leaders to help build a caring future for Canada. The current federal-provincial-territorial agreement on health care will end in 2014 and the federal government has walked away from the negotiating table with the provinces before negotiations have even started.

Negotiations aimed at concluding a new contract covering 16,000 health care and administrative workers in the Community Health Services and Support sub-sector continued last week in Vancouver. Talks will continue.

On Monday and again on Wednesday last week, the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) presented a broad based benefits proposal.  The Community Bargaining Association (CBA) is reviewing the proposals and we will provide you with the details when the bargaining committee has been able to get clarity.

HSAs younger workers are a crucial and dynamic part of our union. In recent years, weve identified shifting attitudes, needs, and ideas from these members.

For a better understanding of these needs and to develop a strategy for more effectively engaging and mobilizing younger workers, HSA is invites your participation in a collaborative project. To inform future HSA services and programs, we want you ... our younger workers ... to help us identify what the goals, strategies, and activities of our young worker engagement program should be.

Talks broke down yesterday between the provincial government, employers and the ten unions representing BC's 15,000 community social services workers. As a result, there will be a strike vote for all unionized workers in the sector.

Outstanding issues include: wages, benefits, sick leave, reimbursable expenses and concessionary demands by the employer, including revisiting improvements gained in the last round of bargaining. 

The Report: June 2012 vol.33 num.2

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER ADRIAN DIX told HSA delegates his party is committed to building a stronger provincial health care system in order to build prosperity in British Columbia.

-We have to respond to the challenges of the public health care system in the 21st century thats under attack from Ottawa and under attack from private interest and this current government in our province," said Dix to a ballroom of several hundred HSA delegates from across B.C.

The Report: June 2012 vol.33 num.2

DELEGATES ATTENDING HSAS 41ST ANNUAL CONVENTION rejected proposals to switch to a biennial convention, discussed the challenges of the current bargaining climate and debated solutions to a long-standing problem with a long-term disability trust just over 200 members.

WHAT IS THE HSA CONTRACT?

Collective agreements that govern the working conditions and compensation for HSA members working in the public sector expired on March 31, 2011. The union is working now on behalf of HSA members to negotiate new collective agreements.

Until new collective agreements are reached, the terms and conditions of the expired agreements continue.

In the public health care and social services sectors, HSA represents members covered by four collective agreements.

AIDS Vancouver has announced details for this years International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, one of the worlds oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness in the world.

Date: Sunday May 20th, 8 PM
Place: Alexandra Park, 1755 Beach Avenue (at Bidwell)