Members iin the Lower Mainland who are concerned about requirements for on call and call back work are encouraged to participate in discipline-specific conference calls starting tonight, Monday Augus 22 at 7 p.m., for members who work in CT.

Call in numbers

• Toll free         1.877.385.4099
• Local               604.899.2339
• Participant access code     58180

Conference calls for other disciplines are scheduled as follows:

Vancouver Coastal Health has invited Health Science Professional staff to attend VCHs staff forums regarding an employer-initiated process to review the current practice leadership structure. The meetings will be held at a variety of locations August 8-12.

Health Sciences Association is conducting a random survey of members who work on call or experience call-back. The on line survey, which is being conducted by Viewpoints Research, will sample the views of several hundred HSA members around the province over the next three weeks.

HSA reported on July 8, 2011 that the union and the employer had decided to ask arbitrator Vince Ready to assist the parties in resolving outstanding issues in the employers plans for the Lower Mainland consolidation of Health Information Management services, and to finalize a labour adjustment agreement.

The union and health employers have reached a labour adjustment plan to minimize the impact of the employers consolidation plan for pharmacy services in the Lower Mainland.

The Health Science Professional Bargaining Associations pharmacy consolidation committee has been meeting with pharmacists across the Lower Mainland to hear concerns and ideas. The union ensured this input was a crucial part of the meetings with health employers. After a series of meetings throughout April, May & June, the parties reached an agreement in recent days.

As you are aware, HSA has been working to minimize the impact of the employers consolidation plan for health information management services in the Lower Mainland. Here are answers to frequently-asked questions.

Q:   I received my -transfer package" July 4, 2011. What happens if I dont fill out the forms in this package?

Since January 11, 2011, health employers have been attempting to consolidate Health Information Management (HIM) Lower Mainland wide. 

HSA has been making attempts to negotiate a labour adjustment agreement to minimize impacts to our health information management members caught up in this process.

To date, HSA does not have an agreed upon labour adjustment agreement with Providence for HIM Lower Mainland consolidation.

We understand that the employer has gone ahead in implementing their organizational structure for HIM.  

The deadline for expressions of interest to act as union representatives playing an active role in ensuring members realize the greatest benefit from the recently agreed to Enhanced Disability Management Program has been extended to June 30, 2011.

The extension is as a result of the excellent response to the initial call for representatives, and several requests for opportunities to learn more about the program and the role of the union in supporting its implementation.

In the last contract talks, many health science professionals called attention to a serious issue: because of being required to be on call and work call-backs, staff are being forced to work with dangerously little rest between shifts.

As part of the new collective agreement, the employer and unions committed to a working group to address these issues. The working group will:
• review current practices
• provide recommendations for initiatives to reduce the need for overtime and call back