Community social service workers have voted in favour of a two-year contract that provides a wage increase while protecting health and welfare benefits.

Community Living workers ratified the tentative agreement by 71 percent. General Services ratified by 84 percent. The weighted average ratification vote for both sectors was 76 percent. HSA represents almost 800 community social services workers covered by these two agreements.

More than 300 HSA union activists welcomed delegates from new certification: Whistler Health Centre. "Welcome to the family!"

Candidate for president Ali Rirash looks on as HSA President Reid Johnson addresses delegates

Delegates to HSA's 2013 annual convention have re-elected President Reid Johnson.

Ali Rirash, a medical laboratory technologist at Victoria General Hospital, and Kevin Towhey, a medical radiation technologist at Royal Inland Hospital, also ran for the position. Delegates voted on Saturday morning.

HSA announced today the establishment of a $120,000 Professional Development Fund accessible to all registered psychiatric nurses who are members of HSA.

The funds, achieved through collective bargaining, may be used to cover professional development courses and events. HSA will cover the cost of tuition, registration fees, books and related expenses to a maximum of $500. Application deadline is December 31, 2013.

The spirit of the negotiated agreement surrounding the change from a 36-hour to a 37.5-hour work week was confirmed this week as the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) reached agreement on a process to implement the 37.5 hour work week agreed to in the recently ratified collective agreement.

A 3% wage increase is now in effect for registered psychiatric nurses covered by the Nurses’ Bargaining Association provincial contract.

You can see your new wage rate here. 

In a recent letter from human resources managers at Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, employees have been told they will be moving to a five-day 7.5 hour work week and that nine-day fortnights and EDOs will be eradicated.

The letter completely misrepresents the negotiated agreement reached on the shift to a 37.5 hour work week from the current 36 hour work week worked by health science professionals, says HSA’s Executive Director of Legal and Labour Relations Jeanne Meyers.

With the exception of some portions of the collective agreement ratified March 6, all provisions of the HSPBA collective agreement come into force and effect today, April 5, 2013.

There are some exceptions, as specified in negotiations, as follows:

Wages

The 2012-2014 HSPBA collective agreement includes a new $225,000 Professional Development Fund for use by all HSPBA members, including HSA members, over the term of the collective agreement.

To maximize the number of members eligible to apply for the funding, there will be two deadlines: One for courses commenced between April 1, 2013 and September 30, 2013 and another for courses commenced between October 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014.

HSA members in Region 5 have re-elected Kimball Finigan to serve a fourth term as their representative on the union’s Board of Directors.  Finigan is a radiation therapist at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver.