Nearly 3,400 community living workers who support adults, children and infants with disabilities and their families are going on strike, starting Wednesday, January 30.

The 24-hour job action will affect Richmond-based Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) and Burnaby-based PosAbilities, the two largest community social service agencies in British Columbia. Agencies in Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Kamloops, Vanderhoof, Trail, Salmon Arm, Castlegar, Creston and Cranbrook will also be picketed.

Significant job action will take place in Community Living next week across British Columbia.

The Community Social Services Bargaining Association is strategically escalating job action to continue
pressuring the BC government. After nearly a year of bargaining, the employer - the Community Social
Services Employers Association - has not even made a monetary offer at the bargaining table.

Vancouver Sun

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, which advises people to stay home if they think they have the flu, has been told to stop punishing its own workers for calling in sick.

In response to a grievance launched last year by the Hospital Employees' Union and other health unions, arbitrator Vince Ready has ruled that the health authority must end the practice of denying overtime, reducing hours or threatening to fire workers for illness or injury.

Mediator Vince Ready facilitated resumption of discussions between the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) this week.

HSPBA Chief Negotiator Jeanne Meyers said the two days of discussion on Monday and Tuesday were productive.

Health care unions have won a significant victory protecting the rights of sick and injured workers who were being punished by Vancouver Coastal Health.

PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL HSA MEMBERS AT CML

CML members at LifeLabs locations must use alternate entrances during BCGEU job action BCGEU members who work at private medical laboratories owned by LifeLabs will begin rotating strikes at various LifeLabs locations on Monday, January 21 and Tuesday, January 22.

This fall, HSA successfully led negotiations with the Ministry of Health to eliminate the punitive aspects of BCs new policy on mandatory flu vaccinations 
 
Click here to read bulletin on flu vaccination policy November 30
 

For immediate release:  January 15, 2013
 
British Columbians were dismayed to learn from a CBC Go Public report this week that families with autistic children are having to wait as long as two and a half years for crucial speech language therapy.

Click here to read CBCs Go Public Report: -Child who doesn't speak waits 2½ years for therapy"

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. 

castanet.net 

Don. W. started drinking when he was 13 to numb the pain he felt from years of bullying and sexual, physical and mental abuse.

The Keremeos man remained an alcoholic for much of his life, until at age 53, he realized he wanted to re-discover who he was.

A big part of finding himself was getting counselling through the South Okanagan Victim Assistance Society, SOVAS. Now the men's counselling program, which turned his life around, is facing financial challenges due to cutbacks in fundraising money.