Health Sciences Association, on behalf of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), is calling for the withdrawal of a province-wide policy that threatens to fire health science professionals who refuse to declare whether they have been vaccinated against seasonal flu.
In the wake of tentative agreements reached in the master provincial government workers (BCGEU) and nurses bargaining (NBA) contracts, the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) return to the bargaining table today.
Jeanne Meyers, chief negotiator for the HSPBA, said the bargaining association is optimistic that the tentative agreements achieved at those two tables signals a willingness by government to return to the health science professionals bargaining table with an appetite to bargain.
HSA, on behalf of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), has achieved a significant win in the continuing dispute regarding the application of interim classification modifications which affect reporting relationships and rates of pay. The interim measures were tied to the work of the Joint Classification Committee (JCC) negotiated in the 2010-2012 collective agreement and do not stand alone.
HSA is profiling the hard work of members with a series of TV, print and on line ads running September and October.
-The public will be seeing a great deal of our members this fall," said HSA President Reid Johnson. -Since the beginning of September weve been running online ads to celebrate our support for Run for the Cure and our work helping breast cancer patients with diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention. Those ads are now being boosted by print ads running in communities all over BC.
Bargaining for a new Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association collective agreement resumed this week against the backdrop of a pessimistic pronouncement by BCs Minister of Finance, Hon. Mike de Jong, about the state of the provinces finances. Once again, a finance minister is revising predictions that called for a rosy future and sombrely telling British Columbians that the deficit is on the rise, and costs have to be contained.
BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN
Clinical exercise specialist Monika Tsia is used to seeing a blank look in peoples eyes when she tells them what she does.
Although most people are well aware that physical exercise is one of the most important things we can do to get healthy and stay healthy, not many people know that clinical exercise specialists even exist, let alone what they do.
Luckily, Tsia, who works in cardiac rehabilitation at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre, is passionate about her job.
In an effort to kick-start contract talks for health science professionals, this week the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association tabled a comprehensive list of proposals ... with the exception of a wage proposal.
-We made a valiant effort to move things along this week," said HSBBA chief negotiator Jeanne Meyers. -We tabled a comprehensive package of proposals for changes to the collective agreement that would address a number of issues affecting our members."
In spite of the unions cease and desist request and an active arbitration about employers failure to adhere to certain terms and conditions negotiated in the 2010-2012 HSPBA collective agreement, employers continue to implement classification changes.
HSA, on behalf of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association, charged that HEABC has contravened the collective agreement by failing or refusing to work towards fulfillment of the objectives outlined for the Joint Classification Committee, negotiated in the 2010-2012 collective agreement.
BCs Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall yesterday announced new measures for influenza prevention among health care workers and patients.
News of heart surgery cancellations in Vancouver this week unfortunately doesnt come as a surprise to the Health Sciences Association of BC, and the union is calling for immediate action by the Ministry of Health to address the shortages responsible for a long-standing and continuing weakness in health authorities ability to provide critical services for very ill patients.
