2003: News Archive

The Report: December 2003 vol.24 num.6 by CAROL RIVIERE he Union Bargaining Association (UBA) and the Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA), began talks during the first week of October to negotiate a new collective agreement covering nearly 15,000 workers in the community social services sector. Talks have proceeded slowly and cautiously in this very complex round of bargaining in...

The Report: December 2003 vol.24 num.6 SA members at St. Pauls Hospital in downtown Vancouver are becoming increasingly concerned about violence in their workplace. For example, employees working in the hospitals emergency department ... especially in the psychiatric emergency unit ... deal with violent incidents on a daily basis. What is violence? The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation, section...

All stewards are encouraged to apply for steward training to ensure they have the skills required to effectively fulfill their crucial roles representing HSA memebers. The following dates have been set for Steward Training Level I (basic steward training) and Occupational Health and Safety steward training: Steward Training Level I Dates: Workshop 1 February 2, 3, 4 ("*CANCELLED"*) Workshop 2...

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The Report: October 2003 vol.24 num.5 by YUKIE KURAHASHI lex Finley figures she has been x-rayed “about five million times.” Finley became familiar with x-rays and radiography early in life, when she was diagnosed with scoliosis. Alex Finley Radiographer Mount St. Joseph's Hospital But she didn’t let it slow her down. “I was in my early 20s when I had...

The Report: October 2003 vol.24 num.5 by DAN KEETON ts a bucolic setting and so remote: by the urban standards of most Canadians, it would seem working a shift in Queen Charlotte Islands Hospital would be a cakewalk. Derek Barton Chief steward & X-ray technologist Queen Charlotte Islands Hospital Not so, says Derek Barton. The x-ray technologist at the hospitals...

The Report: October 2003 vol.24 num.5 by RITU MAHIL I will be retiring soon from my employment. Article 34 of the Collective Agreement describes health and welfare coverage as a condition of employment for regular employees and states that the plan becomes effective on the 1st of the calendar month following the date of hire. My retirement date falls mid...

The Report: October 2003 vol.24 num.5 by RAE JOHNSON malgamations. Privatization. Restructuring. Layoffs. Service cuts. Multi-site chiefs. Imposed conditions of employment. The only thing constant about the working conditions in health care is change. It is constant, multi-faceted, relentless• and it is taking a toll on health science professionals as they struggle to meet the ever increasing needs of patients...

The Report: October 2003 vol.24 num.5 by RON OHMART y now, most members have seen the newspaper ads the provincial government is running about the cost of health care. The clear message in the ads is: ‘if only health care professionals would just stop getting so much money, our public health care system would be better off.’ That’s the tune...

The Report: October 2003 vol.24 num.5 by CINDY STEWART ast fall, HSA was deeply involved with yet another provincial review of laboratory services. At that time, I shared with you my skepticism about the process, but said the union was willing to give it a try because we have consistently advocated for review of the system to make it better...