News & Updates

Late Tuesday afternoon the Labour Relations Board issued its written decision setting the boundaries for new expanded seniority lists in the health care sector. This follows an oral decision delivered Friday. The decision is available for download as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file, with an accompanying separate appendix listing worksites by area. LRB written decision (PDF file - 192KB -...

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EB02.15HSA is offering Basic and Advanced OH&S courses this fall. Courses will be held at the HSA Office, 300 - 5118 Joyce St., Vancouver. HSA BASIC OH&S COURSEOccupational health and safety issues are very important to HSA members. OH&S Stewards have a vital role in promoting a safe work environment and helping to prevent injuries. This workshop will be participatory...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 Youth counsellor fears for youths he young people Katrina Kiefer works with are at risk in any number of ways. For many of them, Kiefer and the alternate school program she leads have offered the last chance to remain in the education system and begin building a successful life. Katrina Kiefer Youth...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 by JEANNE MEYERS n the aftermath of a legislative onslaught by the Gordon Campbell government, described in a recent Globe and Mail national editorial as “legislative vandalism,” HSA’s legal department has been working on many fronts to counter the government’s agenda. Several labour relations matters are currently before the Labour Relations Board...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 by BRUCE WILKINS I am a permanent part-time pharmacist. My position is designated a 0.5 Full Time Equivalent (half time, in other words), but because of staff shortages, I regularly work extra hours to help out in the department. Do these extra hours count in the calculation of the supplemental employment benefits...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 by JACKIE SPAIN On April 23, the provincial Liberal government brought together the six regional health authorities in Vancouver to announce radical changes to BCs health care system. Because Health Services Minister Colin Hansen deliberately left some details very vague, it took some time for health care advocates to figure out what...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 by CINDY STEWART ince the provincial government began its overhaul of our health care system, health care unions and advocacy groups have been anticipating a massive privatization of services. View HSA's submission to the provincial lab review When the government introduced legislation allowing for contracting out of health care services, HSA worked...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 n May 6, 2002, trustees of the HSA Long Term Disability (LTD) Plan #2 approved an increase in the payroll deduction that HSA members pay to fund the plan. The payroll deduction is increasing from 1.75 per cent of earnings to 2.25 per cent of regular earnings. The rate increase is effective...

The Report: July / August 2002 vol.23 num.3 Seth Klein, the BC Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, recently spoke to the Canadian College of Health Care Executives, BC Lower Mainland Chapter about health care policy in British Columbia. In his presentation, he outlined the weaknesses in the government’s reform approaches. The following are some excerpts from his...