The Community Health Bargaining Association (CBA) has reached a tentative agreement for the more than 15,000 union members working in the community health sector across the province.

It is a five-year agreement effective April 1, 2014 until March 31, 2019.

"This tentative agreement provides stability for the community health sector for the next five years and takes an important first step in bringing members' wages and benefits in-line with other health care workers doing the same type of work," said HSA President Val Avery.

Plaque at l'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal

HSA will hold a telephone town hall meeting on Thursday, December 5, to update members on the tentative agreement reached earlier this month.

The phone call is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PST and will last an hour. You will have an opportunity to hear from your negotiators and ask and hear questions and answers about the contract.

It's easy. You just have to be at home at 7 p.m., and you will be connected to the call.

John Christopherson has been elected as the Regional Director to represent members from Region 5 on the HSA Board of Directors.

Christopherson is a counsellor at the Vancouver Cancer Centre. He has served as an assistant chief steward, as a Constituency Liaison, and as a Member-at-Large and on many union committees, including most recently the Occupational Health and Safety Committee. He also served on the HSPBA Bargaining Committee in 2010.

The term expires at the end of the 2015 HSA Convention in Vancouver.

Registered psychiatric nurses represented by HSA have a lot of questions about pressure tactics currently employed by the BC Nurses Union and the Union of Psychiatric Nurses. Both BCNU and UPN have recently pressured members already represented by HSA, and we've been getting questions about whether it's possible to cancel these memberships.

The deadline is now

All HSA members covered by the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association will shortly receive an information package, ballot, and instructions for how to vote by mail.

In the meantime, HSA is organizing a series of information meetings.

• Upcoming information meetings

More meetings are being planned; check this site for updates.

HSA Chief Stewards met in Vancouver today to discuss the tentative agreement reached for health science professionals. Stewards also gathered to discuss the negotiations on September 19.

The complete tentative agreement is now available here:

Derrick Hoyt has been elected as the Regional Director to represent members from Region 2 on the HSA Board of Directors. Hoyt is Pathologist Assistant at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.

For 25 years, He has served in many roles as an active union member, including as a Member at Large and Steward.

The byelection was required when Region 2 regional director Val Avery was named HSA President in September. Hoyt will serve on the board until the end of the term, which expires at the end of the 2014 HSA Convention in Vancouver.

Stewards for health science professionals met in September to discuss the contract negotiations

Ratification vote to be held by mail-in ballot

The Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association has reached a tentative agreement for the 17,000 health science professionals delivering modern health care in BC's hospitals and communities.

One of Canada's best labour schools, held at Harrison Hot Springs, in January and February 2014

The CLC Winter School offers a wide variety of week-long, quality labour oriented courses. To support HSA's ability to represent HSA members effectively and help build a stronger union, members can apply to take courses chosen to meet these objectives.