HSA is profiling the hard work of members with a series of TV, print and on line ads running September and October.
 
-The public will be seeing a great deal of our members this fall," said HSA President Reid Johnson. -Since the beginning of September weve been running online ads to celebrate our support for Run for the Cure and our work helping breast cancer patients with diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention. Those ads are now being boosted by print ads running in communities all over BC.
 

Please see the attached poster for information on a rally organized by the B.C. Federation Of Labours Womens Rights Committee and the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada to oppose motion M-312.

This motion, put forward by Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth, is up for a second hour of debate Friday, September 21st at 1:30 pm and a vote on Wednesday, September 26th at 5:30 pm.

Bargaining for a new Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association collective agreement resumed this week against the backdrop of a pessimistic pronouncement by BCs Minister of Finance, Hon. Mike de Jong, about the state of the provinces finances. Once again, a finance minister is revising predictions that called for a rosy future and sombrely telling British Columbians that the deficit is on the rise, and costs have to be contained.

Join us at the Vancouver Art Gallery at noon on September 13 for a public rally. All HSA members are encouraged to attend, and to bring friends and family for a strong show of support for the bargaining issues and services that community social services workers provide.

A poster and leaflet are available for download.
- Download poster
- Download leaflet

In addition, some HSA members covered by the Community Health Services and Support contract will be voting by mail-in ballot. 

Negotiators for the Nurses Bargaining Association (BC Nurses Union, Health Sciences Association, Union of Psychiatric Nurses) have been working hard to achieve a new provincial contract that addresses members top priorities - improving patient care and patient safety through safe staffing and job security.

The current bargaining session, which began on August 17, was scheduled to end  August 31. Instead, bargaining carried on through the Labour Day weekend, and continues this week.

In an effort to kick-start contract talks for health science professionals, this week the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association tabled a comprehensive list of proposals ... with the exception of a wage proposal.

-We made a valiant effort to move things along this week," said HSBBA chief negotiator Jeanne Meyers. -We tabled a comprehensive package of proposals for changes to the collective agreement that would address a number of issues affecting our members."

HSA members have rejected a proposal to increase union dues in order to offset an unfunded liability in a union long term disability plan.

The proposal for a dues increase was rejected by a margin of 84% to 16%. More than 5,000 members ... or 30 per cent of the total membership ... participated in the vote.

Talks to renew the Community Health Services and Support provincial contract have adjourned and the unions will be conducting a strike vote.

HSA President Reid Johnson said that after eight long months at the bargaining table, members in community health services and support deserve a fair and reasonable deal.