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
In the recently negotiated collective agreement covering health science professionals working in hospitals and communities around the province, a $450,000 professional development fund was established for use by members over the term of the collective agreement.
Following ratification of the agreement, a joint committee of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) was established to develop priorities and terms of reference for the fund.
As of April 1, 2011, new language came into effect in the HSPBA and NBA collective agreements with respect to an Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) designed to facilitate an employee-centred, pro-active, appropriate and customized disability management program for employees with occupational and non-occupational illness/injury.
As a workplace based program, successful implementation of the EDMP requires designated union representatives who will play an active role in ensuring members realize the greatest benefit from this groundbreaking program.
On May 2nd, HSA members will help elect a new federal government. Members are encouraged to vote for candidates who support public services, and the people who deliver them.
Election Day: Monday May 2
Voting times: 7:00 am ... 7:00 pm (Pacific Time)
7:30 am ... 7:30 pm (Mountain Time)
Advance Voting
You may also vote on one of the following Advance Voting Days:
Consolidations: an overview
Last spring, Lower Mainland health employers issued a notice to HSA members working in diagnostic imaging: services throughout the Lower Mainland would be consolidated region-wide. The employers said their objective was to reduce the diagnostic imaging budget by 10 per cent.
Employers have since announced plans to consolidate five other service areas, with the aim of cutting up to 10 per cent out of an already lean system.
The targeted areas are:
