health sciences association august 2006 …...team, and help raise donations for breast cancer...

POOLING RESOURCES

THE Report ReportTHE

H E A L T H S C I E N C E S A S S O C I A T I O N A U G U S T 2 0 0 6 V O L . 2 7 N O . 4

POOLING RESOURCES AQUATIC THERAPY ADDS TO REHAB SERVICES

2 THE REPORT AUGUST 2006 VOL. 27 NO. 4

Health ministry facingchallenge with departure

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

On the day that Gordon Campbell visitedSurrey with an announcement of a new“outpatient centre” to augment health care

services in that city – widely speculated to be the mostbold introduction of private health care into our system –the government’s strongest and most effective advocatefor thoughtful, managed and successful public health carereform threw in the towel.

Dr. Penny Ballem, B.C.’s deputyminister of health for the past five years,took the job when Campbell assured herthat her vision for a strong, healthypublic health care system would not becompromised in the job.

Ballem’s departure June 22 is a blow toB.C.’s health care system. Where theLiberal politicians pushed for quick anddirty answers to a health care system inchaos, Ballem’s insightful leadership wasmaking inroads. The hip replacementinitiative at UBC Hospital, which workedto dramatically address wait lists in thepublic system – instead of surrenderingto relentless pressure from profit-drivenprivate clinics – was making a dent inwaiting lists.

In the face of a growing crisis inemergency rooms around the province,the Liberals threw money at the problemto try to make it go away. Ballem took themoney and ran – with a refreshingly pro-active approach, establishing swat teamsof front-line health care professionalstasked with finding the solutions that

Cindy Stewart, HSA Presidentwould work for their particularsituations.

Ballem is a sophisticated thinker with adeep understanding of the system. Shewas committed to finding solutionswithin a system that, as many have said,is a good system that needs a concertedcommitment to modernizing andupdating to meet the increasinglycomplex demands for health caredelivery.

In her five years as deputy minister ofhealth, she established lines ofcommunication and accountability thatwere designed to challenge local stewardsof health care reform – the healthauthorities and individuals working inthe system – to work collaboratively toreform the system.

As the leader of a union representinghealth science professionals who deliverdiagnostic, clinical and rehabilitationservices to British Columbians, I havealways respected Ballem’s fundamentalunderstanding that our health caresystem is a complex one that depends on

the whole health care team to addresspatients’ health care needs. It takes thatlevel of understanding to tackle thetremendous task of overhauling deliveryto ensure British Columbians have accessto fair and effective health care.

On the morning she resigned, Ballemaddressed the Victoria MinervaFoundation’s Women Speaker Seriesfeaturing “remarkable women to inspireyou with stories and insights into thedecisions and events that shaped theirlives.”

Dr. Penny Ballem is indeed a remarkablewoman.

The challenge for the Liberal governmentwill be to find as remarkable a successorwho will stand up as Ballem did to themany forces and interests in health care –politicians included – to steer theprovince forward to a system that bestserves all British Columbians. R

THE REPORT AUGUST 2006 VOL. 27 NO. 4 3

Report contentsTHE

D E P A R T M E N T S

6 RUN FOR THE CURE COMMITTEE: JOIN HSA IN

THE RUN FOR THE CURE OCTOBER 1

7 BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

8 MEMBERS AT LARGE

1 0 EDUCATION COMMITTEE: HSA

CONGRATULATES SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

1 6 COMMITTEES 2006/2007

1 7 CONTRACT INTERPRETATION

1 8 MEMBER PROFILE: MARIANNE HANSEN

2 0 FOCUS ON PENSIONS

2 2 ACTIVIST PROFILE: SCOTT BROLIN

2 4 LETTERS

C O L U M N S

2 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

2 5 COMMUNICATIONS

2 6 ACROSS THE PROVINCE: REGION 3

Publications mail agreement no. 4000 6822Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to database departmentSuite 300, 5118 Joyce StreetVancouver BC V5R 4H1

N E W S

4 CANADIAN DOCTORS FOR MEDICARE OPPOSES

PRIVATIZATION, CALLS TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC

HEALTH CARE

5 WOMEN TELL THEIR MPs: WORKING FAMILIES NEED

CHILD CARE; HOME SUPPORT MAKES SENSE, SAYS BC

HEALTH COALITION

9 ‘PRESENTEEISM’ A MAJOR WORKPLACE PROBLEM IN

CANADA

1 2 BIOHAZARDS IN HSA WORKPLACESCollaborative effort resultsin new safety protocols

1 8 MEMBER PROFILE: WARM WATER,

DEEP HEALING WITH AQUATIC THERAPY

1 2

T H E F R O N T C O V E RMarianne Hansen is an aquatic therapist at Queen’sPark Care Centre in New Westminster. She is picturedwith resident Hilda Swan. Yukie Kurahashi photo.

1 8


NewsCanadian Doctors for Medicareopposes privatization, calls tostrengthen public health careIn May, Canadian Doctors for Medicare (CDM)called on their 60,000 physician colleagues tostrengthen and protect public access to high-qualityhealth care. The newly-formed physician organiza-tion launched its membership drive and website inOttawa.

“Our fundamental message to our colleagues andto governments is that publicly-funded health careis not only more equitable than a two tier system, itis also more efficient and results in the highest qual-ity of care,” said Dr. Danielle Martin, a Toronto fam-ily doctor and chair of the board of CDM. “A single-payer system for physician and hospital services isthe best way to serve our patients. We support asystem based on need, not on the ability to pay.”

CDM board members said they are alarmed bythe potential repercussions of last summer’s SupremeCourt’s Chaoulli ruling that a citizen of Quebec mayuse private insurance for some medically necessaryphysician and hospital care. Over time, this mayopen the door for two-tier health care to becomethe acceptable Canadian standard, increasing wait

times for most Canadians and leading to higherhealthcare costs.

Dr Simon Turcotte, a General Surgery resident inMontreal and Chair of Médecins pour l’accès à lasanté added, “As representatives of doctors inQuébec supporting our publicly-funded Régimepublique, we are pleased to be working with ourcounterparts across Canada to strengthen medi-care for our patients.”

The CDM board is comprised of physicians indiverse areas of medicine, at every stage of their ca-reers and from every region of Canada. Throughnational leadership and the actions of local mem-bers, CDM plans to be active to help ensure thathealth system reforms remain true to the intent ofthe Canada Health Act and do not include the op-tion of private insurance for physician and hospitalservices.

Dr Tom Noseworthy, a critical care physician andCDM board member from Calgary, said, “We re-cently witnessed a close call with Alberta’s Third Wayreforms. Our patients need us to stand up for them.

“Many Canadians don’t have access to a familydoctor. Many more know a friend or family mem-ber who has waited too long for a diagnostic test ortreatment. The emergence of a parallel private tierwould only make these problems worse for most ofour patients,” he said.

“These problems are best solved within theframework of universally accessible, publicly fundedmedicare. Medicare has proven to be the highestexpression of Canadians caring for one another. Itrepresents sound public policy, is rooted in Cana-dian values, and is readily sustainable. In physicians’terms, medicare is good for your health.”See www.canadiandoctorsformedicare.ca for moreinformation.


Stay connected!Check out HSA’s

website atwww.hsabc.org

Women tell their MPs: Workingfamilies need child careOne out of every six Members of Parliament had adelegation of working women from their home con-stituency knocking on the door of their Ottawa of-fice in June with a message to deliver.

In Ottawa for the 13th Canadian Labour Con-gress Women’s Conference, 350 delegates fromacross the country made their way to ParliamentHill to tell their MPs that child care and early learn-ing are essential for women’s full participation inthe workforce and to ensure children from workingfamilies have access to quality care and early learn-ing opportunities. Rural women in particular spokeof their need for access to quality and affordablechild care in their communities.

“Working women know what is best for theirfamilies, and this government is wrong on childcare,” says Barbara Byers, executive vice-presidentof the Canadian Labour Congress.

“Income supports are helpful, but their plan toprovide tax credits to corporations to create childcare spaces just won’t work. It won’t create badly-needed spaces in rural communities, and it won’tcreate badly-needed spaces in our cities for workingfamilies,” she says.

Delegates to the Women’s Conference – fromevery province and territory – gathered in Ottawafor three days of meetings, workshops and politicalaction.

“Women went and spoke to their Members ofParliament, some for the first time. When they getback home, these women are committed to keepingchild care on the public agenda. This is an issue thatwill not go away,” declared Byers.

The Canadian Labour Congress, the nationalvoice of the labour movement, represents three mil-

lion Canadian workers. The CLC brings togetherCanada’s national and international unions, alongwith the provincial and territorial federations of la-bour and 135 district labour councils.

Home support makes sense says BCHealth CoalitionIn early June, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alter-natives released a study documenting the dramaticdecline in BC home support services over the lastfour years.

The BC Health Coalition (BCHC) has receivedcountless calls from individuals and families in cri-sis because of lack of available services.

“We hear from people across the province whoare home alone with no support,” says Joyce Jones,co-chair of the BC Health Coalition.

“The province must return home support fund-ing to pre-1994 levels and ensure that people receiveservices that will allow them to remain in their ownhomes.”

“Home support makes economic sense,” addsJones. “It reduces the need for more costly acutecare and residential services, and saves the systemmoney.”

According the CCPA study, “the number of homesupport clients dropped by 24 per cent between 2000/2001 and 2004/2005; the number of hours droppedby 15 per cent.” R


HSA’s goal for the 2006 run is to im-prove on the donations HSA team mem-bers raise to support breast cancer research.To date, HSA members have contributedmore than $750,000 to support and pro-mote research and prevention of breastcancer.

HSA members, their families, friends,and colleagues are encouraged to join theteam, and help raise donations for breastcancer research. The CIBC Run for theCure is the largest and most importantfundraiser for the Canadian Breast Can-cer Foundation.

On-line registration is easy.

· Go to www.cibcrunforthecure.com· Click on “join a team”· On the “Register” page, enter your

information· On the “Register” join a local team

page enter:· Team name: Health Sciences Association

R U N F O R T H E C U R E C O M M I T T E E

Join HSA in the Run for the Cure October 1

HSA has formed a provincial team to participate inthe Run for the Cure, to be held Sunday, October 1across Canada and in ten communities across BC:

Abbotford/Fraser Valley, Castlegar, Golden, Kamloops,Kelowna, Nanaimo, Port McNeill, Prince George, Vancou-ver, and Victoria.

· Team Captain: Cindy Stewart· For registration fee payment, you have

three options:

· donate $150 to be eligible forfundraising prizes;

· commit to raising $150 in donations;or

· pay the $35 registration fee

Please note you can take donations toany CIBC branch if you do not want todonate online with a credit card.

Once you are registered, you can startfundraising!

In addition to incentive prizes offeredby the Run for the Cure to successfulfundraisers, HSA will provide prizes toHSA team members for fundraising ef-forts.

Start fundraising when you registeron-line. You can very easily create a profilepage and invite potential donors to make

on-line donations.You can also click on “run locations” on

the www.cibcrunforthecure.com homepage, click on the location you are runningin, and download the donation sheet.

Registration can also be done in personat any branch of CIBC. For informationon how to register, contact Pam Bush atthe HSA office (604) 439-0994 or toll free1-800-663-2017.

While HSA’s new provincial team meansthat team captains are no longer requiredto coordinate the registration and dona-tion process, HSA members are encour-aged to organize fundraising events to raisedonations.

Popular fundraisers by HSA’s topfundraising teams have included bake salesat work, information tables, and directdonations.

Questions? Call Pam Bush at the HSA officefor more information.

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The HSA Board of Directors meets regularlyto address arising and ongoing issues, and tomake policy and governance decisions on behalf

of HSA members.

Board highlights: spring 2006

• The HSA Board of Directors had a busy spring,participating in multiple briefings on the progressof contract negotiations, and eventually voted torecommend ratification of the community socialservices, community health services and support,nurses’, and health science professionals’ contracts.

• After deliberations, the board voted not todeduct union dues from signing bonus moneyreceived by members covered by all four majorcontracts.

• The board thanked outgoing board representa-tives Kelly Finlayson (Region 1), Maureen Ashfield(Region 3), and Ernie Hilland (Region 6). Incomingboard representatives Suzanne Bennett (Region 1),Bruce MacDonald (Region 3) and Rachel Tutte (Re-gion 6) were congratulated with a warm welcome.

• Audrey MacMillan, Region 7 director and a reg-istered psychiatric nurse at Chilliwack General Hos-pital, was elected by the Board of Directors as HSAvice-president. As union vice-president, MacMillanassumes the duties of the president at the president’srequest, or in the president’s absence. She chairs theResolutions Committee, and is a member of theunion’s Executive Committee.

• Brian Isberg, Region 2 director and a medicallaboratory technologist at Victoria General Hospi-tal, was re-elected by the Board of Directors as HSA’ssecretary-treasurer. As secretary-treasurer, Isberg isa signing officer of the union, chairs the FinanceCommittee, and presents the financial report andbudget to the Annual Convention.

• The Board amended HSA’s financial policy, in-creasing the mileage reimbursement for union busi-ness to 50 cents per kilometre.

• The Board approved a donation to the SingleParent Resource Centre in memory of MadeleineShields, spouse of retired BCGEU president JohnShields. The resource centre is a non-profit agencyoffering a wide variety of programs and services tosingle parent families in the Greater Victoria area.

• In May, HSA President Cindy Stewart broughtgreetings to delegates at HSA Alberta’s annual con-vention in Calgary. Cindy was accompanied by newlyelected HSA Vice-President Audrey MacMillan.

• In June, the Board participated in a half-dayworkshop on board governance hosted by LarryBrown, Secretary-Treasurer of the National Unionof Public & General Employees (NUPGE).

H S A B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S

CALM GRAPHIC


REGION 1Marilyn RiddellResidential Support WorkerFuture Focus (Campbell River)

Hilary MacInnisOccupational TherapistSt. Joseph’s Hospital (Comox)

REGION 2Anna MortonSocial WorkerQueen Alexander Ctr. For Children’s Health

M E M B E R S A T L A R G E 2 0 0 6 / 2 0 0 7

Members at Large are elected at regional meetings. Theyparticipate in HSA’s standing and special committees, and

are delegates to the annual convention as well as to the BCFederation of Labour Convention.

Your representatives

HSA Members at Large: back row from left: Rosalie Fedoryshyn, Kimball Finigan, Nadine Soukoreff (Region 4alternate), Larry Bryan, Mike Trelenberg, Colya Kaminiarz, Pat Barber. middle row from left: Sue Motty, Carmela

Vezza, Anna Morton, Irene Goodis, Hilary MacInnis, Ruth Simpson, Charles Wheat. front row from left: MargBeddis, Tanis Blomly, Wendy Reilly, Cheryl Greenhalgh, Ellen Lee, Thalia Vesterback, Marcela Dudas.

Carmela VezzaSocial WorkerVIHA South Island (Saanich Peninsula)

REGION 3Tanis BlomlyRecreation TherapistEagle Ridge Hospital

Cheryl GreenhalghMedical Radiation TherapistRoyal Columbian Hospital


Mike TrelenbergYouth WorkerSHARE Family & Community Services

REGION 4Ellen LeeEEG/EMG Technologist (ENP Tech.)Richmond Hospital

Colya KaminiarzRespiratory TherapistVancouver Hospital (12th & Oak)

Pat BarberSocial WorkerVancouver Hospital (12th & Oak)

REGION 5Larry BryanRegistered Psychiatric NurseHaro Park Centre

Sue MottyMedical Lab TehcnologistCanadian Blood Services

REGION 6Ryan BabakaiffMedical Lab TechnologistBCCA - Vancouver Cancer Centre

Kimball FiniganRadiation TherapistBCCA - Vancouver Cancer Centre

REGION 7Marg BeddisDietitianSurrey Memorial Hospital

Brent JeklinMedical Radiation TechnologistLangley Memorial Hospital

Rosalie FedoryshynInfant Development ConsultantFraser Valley CDC

REGION 8Irene GoodisPhysiotherapistPenticton Regional Hospital

Wendy ReillyRecreation Therapist100 Mile District Hospital

REGION 9Ruth SimpsonMedical Radiation TechnologistInvermere District Hospital

Thalia VesterbackMedical Radiation Technologist / SonographerKootenay Lake Hospital

REGION 10Charles WheatResidential Care WorkerSouth Peace CDC

Marcela DudasMedical Lab TechnologistPrince Rupert Regional Hospital

See page 16 for a list of HSA’s Committees.

‘Presenteeism’ is a majorworkplace problem inCanada

Employers who have longfocused on ‘absenteeism’ should

also be paying attention to‘presenteeism’ - employees who workevery day no matter what is happen-ing in their personal lives, says a re-port by Desjardins Financial Security.

“Presenteeism, the feeling that youmust show up for work even if youare too sick to be there, is a main fac-tor in employee stress and distrac-tion,” says Alain Thauvette, a seniorvice-president with the well-known fi-nancial institution.

The report says nearly two-thirdsof Canadian workers feel so pressedby financial concerns that they putwork ahead of families, relationships,friends and their own health.

A survey conducted by the com-pany included the following findings:• Nearly two-thirds of Canadian

workers (62 per cent) make work apriority when suffering from men-tal and physical problems, not de-voting the necessary time to re-cover.

• 59 per cent of respondents madesacrifices at the expense of personalhealth, family and friends.

• 83 per cent say wireless technologyis either maintaining or increasingstress levels.For employers, the main message

from the findings is a negative impacton employee productivity.

Canadian workers are “losing thework-life balance battle due to in-creased stress, anxiety and depres-sion,” the report said.

Source: NUPGE

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Committees

HSA’s Education Committeedeliberates over scholarshipapplications and disbursesawards. The members of the2005/2006 EducationCommittee were:• Jackie Spain (Chair)• Audrey MacMillan• Hilary MacInnis• Bruce MacDonald• Filippo Berna• Leila Lolua (Staff)

For information on scholar-ships and bursaries availablethrough HSA, contact yourchief steward, or Leila Loluaat 604/439.0994 or 1.800/663.2017.

Scholarship and bursaryapplication forms areavailable for download athsabc.org.

E D U C A T I O N C O M M I T T E E

HSA congratulates scholarship winnersfor 2005 / 2006 academic year

Kathryn GullasonChild of Celine BrouillettePsychologistBC Children’s Hospital

Cheryl WaltonChild of Linda WaltonLab TechnologistEagle Ridge Hospital

Adam WardChild of Linda WardLab TechnologistKootenay Lake Hospital

Niall McPhersonChild of Alexander (Sandy) McPhersonCommunity WorkerJohn Howard Society

Sonja SeherChild of Sandra SeherSonographerRoyal Jubilee Hospital

Evan RankinChild of Anne RankinPhysiotherapistBC Children’s Hospital

Jonathan WongChild of Sandra WongPhysiotherapistRichmond Hospital

Alia DharamsiChild of Azmina DharamsiPharmacistChildren’s & Women’s Health Centre

Thomas IsenorChild of Angela Gregory-IsenorPhysiotherapistBoundary Hospital

Rochelle GellatlyPharmacistRoyal Columbian Hospital /Surrey Memorial Hospital

Morgan ThompsonChild of Gail ThompsonHealth Records AdministratorCreston Valley Hospital

Claire ReidChild of Jillian ReidPhysiotherapistKelowna General Hospital


Wesley ChandlerChild of Simon ChandlerBiomed TechnologistRoyal Columbian Hospital

Quisha Poh Keng Claire Girard-LauChild of Alfred LauBiomed TechnologistVancouver General Hospital

Brooks NickelChild of Sue NickelLab TechnologistPenticton Regional Hospital

Ryan KonarskiBehavioural InterventionistFraser Valley Child Development Centre

Jamie WilloxChild of Kim WilloxLab TechnologistInvermere and District Hospital

Kirk WarkotschChild of Karla WarkotshRecreation TherapistKelowna General Hospital

Susan PyrozykChild of Ron Pyrozyk and Nancy HillisRegistered Psychiatric NursesPenticton Regional Hospital & Haven HillRetirement Centre

Valerie HollingdaleChild of Jeff HollingdaleLab Technologist (deceased)Vancouver General Hospital

Kelsey HallMedical Radiation TechnologistKelowna General Hospital

Anoop HaraLab TechnologistRoyal Inland Hospital

Christina MacaulayQueen Alexander Centrefor Children’s Health

Lisa ChieduchLab TechnologistPrince Rupert Regional Hospital

Questions about HSA’seducation programs?Want to know ifyou’re eligible for anHSA scholarship?Contact Leila Loluaat the HSA office!

Michelle GauvinDirect Support WorkerLangley Child Development CentreAboriginal Bursary Awards

Aboriginal bursary awards

Lara DesRochesSandra Gray


On June 11, 2001, the WorkSafe’s Prevention Di-vision imposed three administrative penalties, withfines totaling $34,000, against the Capital HealthRegion (CHR - now part of the Vancouver IslandHealth Authority) for failing to take adequate meas-ures to protect its laundry workers from needlestickand puncture injuries. CHR appealed the imposi-

tion of these penalties to WorkSafe’s Appeal Divi-sion, and the three health care unions – HSA, HEUand BCNU – intervened in the appeal as interestedstakeholders.

Typically in such appeals, the unions would sim-ply provide submissions supporting WorkSafe’s de-cision to impose fines. In this case, however, HSAobtained agreement from HEU and the BCNU toask the Appeal Division to appoint a mediator to tryto find a settlement that would satisfy all parties,and that would create an opportunity to developand implement an effective exposure control planfor blood and body fluids (BBF). There was somehesitation on the part of all parties, as mediationhad never been used before to deal with an admin-istrative penalty appeal.

After several meetings, agreement was reachedto establish a joint union/employer BBF subcom-

B I O H A Z A R D S I N H S A W O R K P L A C E S

Collaborative effort results in new safety protocols

Exposure to potentially infectious blood andother body fluids is a serious occupationalhazard for many health care workers. HSA and

other health care unions have been working with frontline workers, employers, BC’s Occupational Health andSafety Agency for Health Care (OHSAH) and WorkSafeBC (formerly WCB), to find and implement effectivemeasures to minimize this hazard.

by CAROL RIVIÈRE

Drawing blood,working in the OR,giving injections andinserting IVs, workingwith specimens in thelab, treating patientswho cough or vomit –for HSA members,minimizing blood andbody fluids exposureisn’t a simple task.


mittee of the joint occupational health and safetycommittee at one of the Victoria-area hospitals.

Representatives from WorkSafe’s Prevention Di-vision were invited to sit on the committee in anadvisory capacity, and the committee sought assist-ance from the Occupational Health and SafetyAgency for Health Care in BC.

OHSAH was asked to assist in the design, devel-opment, implementation and evaluation of an ex-posure control plan. Most of the money from theadministrative penalty ($30,000), was earmarked tohelp develop the exposure control plan.

“Minimizing blood and body fluids exposure ina hospital isn’t a simple task,” says Marty Lovick,HSA’s Labour Relations Officer for occupationalhealth and safety. “There are so many different tasks,settings and staff with a risk of exposure – fromdrawing blood, to working in the OR, giving injec-tions and inserting IVs, working with BBF speci-mens in the lab, or working in housekeeping or thelaundry,” he says.

“We believed the employer had a sincere desire toaddress this hazard, and decided there was a betterchance of making a real difference by using this op-portunity to create a structure that would have agood chance of tackling this complex issue, ratherthan simply punishing the employer with a fine.”

The joint committee put in countless hours todevelop an exposure control plan based on best prac-tices, and to follow up on surveying hundreds offront-line workers to determine which tasks andareas carried the greatest risk of BBF exposure inthe CHR1. HSA medical laboratory technologistsrepresented HSA on the committee.

Despite the massive restructuring that occurredas CHR became part of the new Vancouver IslandHealth Authority, the joint committee continued its

Sharps aren’t theonly way HSAmembers areexposed to bloodand bodily fluids.

Continued next page

OHSAH definition of blood and body fluid exposure

Blood and body fluid (BBF) exposure is a term used when blood or otherpotentially infectious body fluid comes into contact with the skin, subcutane-ous tissue (i.e. tissue under the skin), or mucous membranes (i.e. tissue liningthe eyes, nose, mouth, vagina, rectum and urethra). Exposure to BBF is amajor concern for health care workers because of the potential for acquiringdisease and the related psychological stress that can occur.


work, conducting worksite safety audits and imple-menting use of the internationally used EPINet (Ex-posure Prevention Information Network) for re-porting and tracking BBF exposures.

VIHA has now implemented the BBF exposurecontrol plan throughout the health authority. Theplan includes improved training in minimizing ex-posure, the use of safer needle/sharps devices andreplacing glass specimen tubes and containers withplastic ones.

Other health authorities are at various stages ofimplementing a safe needle/sharps program and/ora broader BBF exposure control plan.

Where requested, OHSAH has provided infor-mation about best practices and has worked to en-sure that all health authorities have a consistent wayof tracking exposure incidents. OHSAH hopes tostart collecting data soon to evaluate the effective-ness of the exposure control plan that’s been imple-mented in VIHA.

Although significant progress is being made insome health authorities to address this importantoccupational hazard, more needs to be done. TheService Employees International Union (SEIU) is cur-rently heading a campaign urging provincial gov-ernments to enact legislation making the use ofsafety-engineered needles and medical devices man-datory. Manitoba and Saskatchewan are the onlyCanadian jurisdictions that have passed such legis-lation so far. Manitoba’s act came into effect Janu-ary 1 of this year. Saskatchewan’s act is scheduled tocome into force on July 1. A safe needles bill passed

first reading in Nova Scotia in May, 2006, before aprovincial election was called, and a private mem-ber’s bill on safe needles in Ontario passed first read-ing last November.

HSA is supporting SEIU’s campaign for such leg-islation in BC. More information about the cam-paign is available at www.saferneedlesnow.ca/bc.htm.

In BC, WorkSafe has proposed amendments tothe Occupational Health and Safety Regulation gov-erning sharps.

These amendments would include provisionsmaking it mandatory for employers to replace regu-lar hollow-bore needles used for vascular access,with safety-engineered needles. The amended regu-lation would also “encourage” further upgrading,to replace safety-engineered needles with needle-lessdevices, which reduce the risk of injury and expo-sure even further.

Although the proposed amendment is an im-provement over current regulatory requirements,many labour organizations believe it does not gofar enough.

WorkSafe recently invited public feedback on theproposed amendments. HSA’s submission stressedthat the regulation should be expanded to includeall medical sharps, not just vascular needles, andthat the workplace OH&S Committees should par-ticipate in the selection of appropriate devices.

Jackie Spain, HSA Region 9 Director and Chairof HSA’s provincial OH&S Committee, emphasizes

OH&S Regulation

Section 6.34 Exposure control planThe employer must develop and implement an exposure control planmeeting the requirements of section 5.54, if a worker has or may haveoccupational exposure to a bloodborne pathogen, or to other biohazardousmaterial as specified by the [Workers’ Compensation] Board.

Continued from previous page

Improved control measures needed

Frontline workers mustbe involved in decidingwhat types ofequipment and devicesare the safest and mosteffective for carryingout their work.


that frontline workers must be involved in decidingwhat types of equipment and devices are the safestand most effective for carrying out their work. “Thepeople performing each type of task that carries arisk of BBF exposure have the best idea of what sortof needle system or other device will decrease therisk of a puncture or other type of BBF exposure,”Spain said. She added that employers also need tolisten to these employees to ensure that the newequipment or device doesn’t create a different typeof hazard.

“Members at some facilities have told me they’vebeen given a ‘safety needle’ to use that requires themto use their thumb to flip a cover over the needle tip,and that it’s so difficult to do this, their thumb isstiff and painful by the end of their shift.”

Spain also stressed the need for facilities to lookbeyond the issue of needlestick injuries, and to im-plement measures to eliminate all types of BBF ex-posure.

“HSA members in many different professionsface a risk of BBF exposure, from a variety ofsources.” Exposure can occur not only through punc-tures caused by needles, cuts from other types ofsharps, or broken glass, but also from direct con-tact with patients who are coughing, sneezing, bleed-ing, etc.

“Employers need to ensure there are controlmeasures in place for every type of BBF hazard,”Spain said.

____________

1 Results from the Vancouver Island Health Au-thority worker survey, and from a similar surveysubsequently conducted at Surrey MemorialHospital in the Fraser Health Authority, are avail-able on the OHSAH website atwww.ohsah.bc.ca/index.php?section_id=25186& Results from the worker survey conducted atVancouverHospital in the Vancouver CoastalHealth Authority should soon be available atthis site .

Post-exposure follow-up

Every health care worker should be aware of their facility’s procedurefor medical treatment and reporting following a blood and body fluidexposure. In most hospitals, this means reporting to the ER as soon aspossible. Members who are unsure whether filling in an internal “IncidentReport” is sufficient, or whether they should file a workers’ compensationclaim, should contact the HSA office for assistance.

Report every instance of exposureto blood or body fluids.

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COMMITTEE FOR EQUALITY ANDSOCIAL ACTIONRachel Tutte (Chair, Region 6 Director)Agnes Jackman (Region 4 Director)Mike Trelenberg (Region 3)Rosalie Fedoryshyn (Region 7)Marcela Dudas (Region 10)Pam Bush (Staff)

EDUCATION COMMITTEEJackie Spain (Chair, Region 9 Director)Suzanne Bennett (Region 1 Director)Carmela Vezza (Region 2)Wendy Reilly (Region 8)Ruth Simpson (Region 9)Leila Lolua (Staff)

ELECTIONS COMMITTEEBrian Isberg (Chair, Region 2 Director)Lois Dick (Region 10 Director)Rebecca Maurer (Staff)

C O M M I T T E E S 2 0 0 6 / 2 0 0 7

HSA committees support union’s workRESOLUTIONS COMMITTEEAudrey MacMillan (Chair & Vice President,Region 7 Director)Hilary MacInnis (Region 1)Anna Morton (Region 2)Tanis Blomly (Region 3)Colya Kaminiarz (Region 4)Sue Motty. (Region 5)Kimball Finigan (Region 6)Brent Jeklin (Region 7)Irene Goodis (Region 8)Thalia Vesterback (Region 9)Charles Wheat (Region 10)Ron Ohmart (Staff)

TRIAL COMMITTEEHilary MacInnis (Region 1)Charlene Chen (Region 4)Marg Beddis (Region 7)Errin Patton (Region 9)Gwen DeRosa (Region 9)Dennis Blatchford (Staff)

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH &SAFETY COMMITTEEJackie Spain (Chair, Region 9 Director)Lois Dick (Region 10 Director)Marilyn Riddell (Region 1)Pat Barber (Region 4)Larry Bryan (Region 5Marty Lovick (Staff)

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEEJoan Magee (Chair, Region 8 Director)Rachel Tutte (Region 6 Director)Anna Morton (Region 1)Marg Beddis (Region 7)Thalia Vesterback (Region 9)Carol Riviere (Staff)

RUN FOR THE CUREAgnes Jackman (Chair, Region 4 Director)Lois Dick, (Region 10 Director)Tanis Blomly (Region 3)Cheryl Greenhalgh (Region 3)Ellen Lee (Region 4)Pam Bush (Staff)

LONG TERM DISABILITY TRUSTEES

LTD Trust #1Brian IsbergReid JohnsonJoan Magee

LTD Trust #2Cindy StewartBrian IsbergJoan MageeAudrey MacMillanReid Johnson


C O N T R A C T I N T E R P R E T A T I O N

It’s your right: questions and answersabout your collective agreement rightsA victory for permanently disabled workers

by SARAH O’LEARY

Q:Because of a permanent workplace injury in 1999, I was awarded a partial disabilitypension from the Workers’ Compensation Board in 2001. My condition has sinceworsened.

I have heard from my occupational health and safety steward that WCB benefits havebeen severely curtailed under the BC Liberal government. Is this true? Should I apply to have mypension reassessed, or do I risk losing what I already have?

And what happens when I turn 65? I read that previously-injured workers turning 65 will now haveour WCB pensions cut off.

A:Although the BC Liberals have drastically cut WCBbenefits since 2001, the Supreme Court of BritishColumbia handed a rare victory to injured workers in

May that reverses some of these cuts.Among the many cuts to Workers Compensation benefits that

the Liberals brought in shortly after coming to power, one of themost drastic was to change pensions for permanent disability.They took away pensions for life, ending them at age 65. Theyalso reduced them to 90 per cent of net earnings, rather than 75per cent of gross wages, which is a significant reduction. To addinsult to injury, they also “claw back” 50 per cent of Canada Pen-sion Plan Disability pensions from those who are the most seri-ously disabled.

Those who had pensions before 30 June 2002 were not affectedby these cuts. However, many people who have WCB pensionsfor permanent disability suffer a worsening of their condition asthey grow older.

Those with disability pensions have always been allowed toapply to the WCB for re-assessment in order to have their pen-sions increased to reflect their increased disability.

However, the Liberal government-appointed Board of Direc-tors of the WCB changed the rules. The new rules meant thatanyone with a pension from the old system who had suffered adeterioration of their condition after 30 June 2002, and had to bere-assessed, would have that increased amount of their pensionfall under the new system, thus taking away all those benefits theypreviously would have received.

The case that won in the courts in mid-May (Cowburn v. WCB

of BC, 2006 BCSC 722) concerned a Mr. Cowburn, who is dying ofasbestosis which he contracted working in a pulp mill years ago. Hehad previously been awarded a 28 per cent disability pension by theWCB, but in recent years his disability had worsened.

Mr. Cowburn was re-assessed, and the WCB found he wasnow 59 per cent disabled. The problem for him was that he wasthen 65, which meant that under the new rules his benefits wouldbe cut off. So, as Mr. Cowburn’s increased pension fell under thenew rules, he wasn’t going to get one penny more than his original$800 a month.

Mr. Cowburn challenged this. The BC Supreme Court sidedwith him, saying that denying Mr. Cowburn his increased pen-sion was unfair.

The court said that the WCB could not refuse to cover pen-sions from the old system just because they wanted to save money.They told the WCB that its policy was “patently unreasonable”and that the policy could not stand.

The Cowburn case shows that we must keep fighting unfairpolicies and provisions under the Workers Compensation systembrought in by the Liberals.

While HSA continues to represent individual members with par-ticular disputes with WCB, part of our work as a union must alsobe to work to reform an eroded workers’ compensation system.

Injured workers deserve protection and compensation, notcontinual cuts in an adversarial system.Sarah O’Leary handles WCB appeals for members whose claimswere initially rejected. Contact her through the HSA office, or [email protected].

This column is designed to help members use their collective agreement to assert or defend their rights andworking conditions. Please feel free to send your questions to the editor, by fax, mail, or email [email protected]’t forget to include a telephone number where you can be reached during the day.

CALM GRAPHIC

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Warm water, deep healing with aquatic therapy

“This is the thing that I am so passionate about:when you free the body in that way, in semi-weight-lessness and warmth, there’s this huge letting-goprocess. I’ve never seen it in any other kind of therapy.When you free the body and are not looking forclinical results, you get the human result, and theonly word I can use for it is joy,” she says.

Aquatic therapy is still relatively obscure inCanada, but well established in many other coun-

exercises, we get huge results,” she says.Hansen didn’t start out intending to be an aquatic

therapist, although she grew up in and around pools.She worked as a swimming instructor and lifeguard,swam competitively, and practiced synchronizedswimming. In the 1980s she attended the Universityof Calgary where she completed her Bachelors ofPhysical Education, specializing in kinesiology. How-ever, at that time, kinesiology was still a fledglingdiscipline and didn’t offer a discernable career path.

“I came out of university and was standingaround saying, ‘What can I do with this?’ Thereweren’t a lot of opportunities.” So she went in otherdirections – designing children’s clothing, operatinga health food restaurant.

Then, in 1999, she had a near-fatal car accident.After that, she knew she needed to find a career thatmatched her interests. Aquatics work became avail-able in Kelowna, and she found work at the hospi-tal, and for ICBC.

“When we moved to Vancouver, I specifically wentout and looked for a job as an aquatic therapist.”Along the way, Hansen pursued the training thathad not been readily available back when she gradu-ated from university. She’s made repeated trips theUnited States to earn certification in WATSU (theacronym stands for WATer + ShiatSU) aquatictherapy, Waterdance and WATSU Assistant TeacherTrainer. Add these to her aquatic certifications andher BPE, and she has a long list of credentials.“It took a lot of hard work to get here,” she says. “Ididn’t even know about WATSU till three years ago!I’ve really fast-tracked because I knew this is mycalling. I am totally committed to it.”

The job at Queen’s Park came up in 2002. Therewas a pool already in the facility, mostly unused.“Physiotherapists had been taking people into it,but with staffing allocations the way they are, tryingto run a pool program while doing a regular job

M E M B E R P R O F I L E

The water calls to Marianne Hansen – and theaquatic therapist at Queen’s Park Care Centre inNew Westminster answers it every day.

“I’ve never seen it in any otherkind of therapy. When you free

the body and are not looking forclinical results, you get thehuman result, and the onlyword I can use for it is joy.

by LAURA BUSHEIKIN

”

tries, particularly the USA and Germany. Clinicalstudies from those countries confirm what Hansensees with her patients – that a combination of pas-sive floating, gentle movement and massage in awarm pool, guided and supported by a practitioner,is a remarkably effective therapy.

“With the warm water, we already have somepain management. Also, we have hydrostatic pres-sure. Patients are in an environment that is puttingpressure on them in a way that is uniform and con-sistent. So it makes things like circulation and respi-ratory function more effective. These things workwhen the patient is passive too, but when you add


his eyes are more alert or aware; there’s a softening,”she says.

The water facilitates healing on multiple levels,and can affect people in surprisingly deep ways.

“There’s a freeing of the body that happens, andwith the mind and body being so connected, whenthe body starts to feel that freedom, the mind startsto free itself. It’s like opening the doors inward. It’san opportunity to go into themselves and find thatinner sanctuary,” she says.

“That’s the sacredness of water. It doesn’t hap-pen the same way on land.”

wasn’t working.” Management decided that insteadof cementing the pool in – a solution that is, unfor-tunately, common, says Hansen – they would cre-ate a position for a qualified aquatic therapist.Hansen spent about eight months setting up theprogram before beginning to work with patients.The program has been a huge success.

“It has actually become a very big draw for fami-lies placing their loved ones here. There’s no short-age of people wanting to have aquatic bodyworkand aquatic therapy,” she says.

Queen’s Park Care Centre is a busy place, with150 beds for residential extended care and approxi-mately 150 beds for various other programs, mainlyfor the frail elderly.

“Most of my patients are multiple diagnosis –they may have Parkinson’s plus congestive heart fail-ure, or MS plus diabetes. I see everyone from quad-riplegics to mobile,” says Hansen.

When her patients go to the pool to work withher, they enter a space markedly different from thehustle-and-bustle of the medical facility upstairs.The air is warm and damp, the walls paneled withcedar, relaxing music plays, and Hansen is there togreet and ease them into the warm waters of thecircular pool.

Patients in wheelchairs are taken down a rampuntil they are deep enough to be floated up into thewater. By then the therapeutic experience is alreadyunderway.

“One of my clients is a non-responsive brain-injured quadriplegic. What I notice when he gets inthe water is the softening of the muscles and theopening of the joints; the body is letting go. I notice

Marianne HansenAquatic Therapist

Queen’s Park Care Centre

Care centre residentHilda Swan is euphoricupon entering thewater with aquatictherapist MarianneHansen.

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Patients in wheelchairs are takendown a ramp until they are deepenough to be floated up into thewater. By then the therapeuticexperience is already underway.


Dividing the pension: whena spousal relationship ends

F O C U S O N P E N S I O N S

What are the steps to dividing a pension?

CALM GRAPHIC

Q: I am currently going through a divorce.We are now discussing the division ofmarital assets. Is my pension consid-ered such an asset? How would we go

about dividing it?

A: A pension is considered by law to bematrimonial property, just like a house,car or other asset. When a marriage

ends, the pension belongs to both the former spouseand the plan member, and they may choose to di-vide the pension. Both parties should consider ob-taining legal advice about dividing matrimonialproperty. The pension plan cannot provide adviceabout dividing pensions.

The Family Relations Act is the provincial lawthat governs how family assets are divided on mari-tal breakdown.

Determining the value of the pensionDefined benefit plans are based on a formula

of years worked, earnings and retirementage. Therefore, the plan member’s contri-butions do not represent the entire valueof the pension.

It may be necessary to determine the value of thepension in order to divide it fairly. This is called avaluation. If the plan member or former spouserequires a valuation, they should consult an actu-ary.

A former spouse can get the information neces-sary for an actuary to calculate the value of the pen-sion by submitting Form 1, Claim of Spouse to In-terest in a Member’s Pension, along with evidence ofthe spousal relationship, such as a clear copy of themarriage certificate.

After Form 1 is returned, the pension plan willnotify the former spouse of any subsequent signifi-cant transactions affecting the pension.

Establishing limited membershipThe former spouse may then decide to become a

limited member of the pension plan. A former spousecan become a limited member by submitting Form2, Request for Designation as a Limited Member of aPension Plan, along with evidence of entitlement topart of the pension, such as a court order or separa-tion agreement.

Generally, once the former spouse becomes a lim-ited member there are potentially two options:

• The limited member can transfer a lump-sumrepresenting their share of the pension to a locked-in investment vehicle, such as a registered retire-ment savings plan (RRSP), retirement income

In this regular feature, the MunicipalPension Plan answers frequently-askedquestions. See pensionsbc.ca for moreinformation about the Municipal Pension Plan.


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fund (RIF) or life income fund (LIF), as early as the date theplan member requests a payment of their benefit or reachesearliest retirement age (55 for most plan members) but nolater than the plan member’s retirement. This payment is calleda commuted value, and it represents the present-day value of afuture pension benefit. If the plan member terminates em-ployment prior to their earliest retirement age and receives apayment of the commuted value, the limited member can alsochoose to be paid a commuted value at that time.

• The limited member’s share of the pension can be paid as amonthly pension directly from the pension plan. The limitedmember can then select a pension option and nominate a ben-eficiary. However, the limited member cannot receive a pen-sion if the plan member is not also receiving a pension. Limitedmembers are not entitled to medical, extended health or dentalbenefits.

Detailed information about the pension will be sent to thelimited member along with Form 4, Request by a Limited Memberfor Transfer or Pension, which must be completed and returned tothe pension plan.

Death of either partyThe death of the plan member or former spouse may affect

how the pension benefit is paid, especially if either party dies be-fore the pension starts. In particular, it may be difficult or notpossible to establish limited membership if the former spousedies before initiating or completing the process. It is thereforeimportant to discuss with your lawyer the steps required to es-tablish limited membership, and the timing of those steps.

If the plan member dies before the former spouse receives ashare of the pension, the former spouse is entitled to pre-retire-ment survivor benefits, payable immediately, provided he or shequalifies as a limited member.

If the limited member dies before receiving a share of the pen-sion benefit, the estate is entitled to a proportionate share of thepension benefit, payable immediately.

Dividing the PensionThe pension is divided based on the terms of the court order

or separation agreement. If the court order does not providespecific dates for dividing the pension, it is divided using the for-mula set out in the regulations of the Family Relations Act. Thisformula is based in part on how long the plan member and thelimited member were married or living together, and how longthe plan member contributed to the pension plan while the twopeople were spouses.

The Family Relations Act allows the plan member and thelimited member to decide on a different proportionate divisionthan that specified in the legislation. This must be done in accord-ance with the provisions of the Family Relations Act.

Definition of spouseFor pension plans administered by the Pension Corpora-

tion, “spouse” means:

• the person you are legally married to and, for the two-year period immediately before the relevant time, werenot living separate from; or, if this does not apply,

• the person, of the same or opposite sex, who has livedwith you in a marriage-like relationship for the two-yearperiod immediately before the relevant time.

A pension is considered by lawto be matrimonial property, justlike a house, car or other asset.


Brolin’s focus is on the big picture; on looking athow hospital administrations work, how decisionsare made, and how this impacts the patient.

Brolin’s very first position involved changing hos-pital systems. In 2002, he was fresh out of univer-sity, having earned a BScPT from Curtin Universityin Perth, Australia. Soon after returning to Canada,he was hired to lead a new program called PEARS(Prevention, Early Activation, and Return-to-workSafety) at Royal Columbian Hospital. This programwas a joint initiative between the employer and vari-ous unions in the workplace. As program leader,Brolin worked throughout the hospital to improveprevention and response to workplace injury.

When the position of professional practice chief,responsible for all physiotherapy activities in thehospital, came up two years later, he relished theopportunity to advocate for physiotherapy servicesthroughout the hospital.

“My own personal focus is on human health re-source planning,” he says. “How does one decidewhat kind of human resources you need for a par-ticular service? When you look at different physiodepartments across Canada, most staffing decisionsare based on what was done in the past, for in-stance, one physiotherapist for 30 beds. But ourhealth care system is changing rapidly – it’s verydifferent than only five years ago.” Decision-makingaround caseloads and other key issues needs tochange as well, he says.

Brolin’s interests led him to become active in thePhysiotherapists’ Association of British Columbia

(PABC), where he chairs the public practice advisorycommittee. He is also a member of the legislative com-mittee of the College of Physical Therapists of BC. Itwas as the result of a PABC survey that Brolin real-ized physiotherapists wanted the tools and resourcesto be able to advocate for their services.

“One way to do that is to understand how tomake a business case in language that our decision-makers can understand, because most of the deci-sion-makers are not physios.” To that end, Brolintaught a course for the PABC entitled “Making aBusiness Case for Publicly Funded PhysiotherapyServices.”

A key element in making a case for services isdata, says Brolin.

“Data collection among physios in BC is vari-able at best. Some sites are not collecting any datawhatsoever. With no data, it’s very hard to make abusiness case to show you are being effective,” hesays.

Of course, the data must be the right kind.“Don’t waste time collecting data that isn’t doing

anything for us,” advises Brolin. “Instead, describethings we are not able to do because of the work-load. Talk about the percentage of patients that wecan’t see because there are not enough physios tohandle the caseload,” says Brolin.

Preventing cutbacks and expanding care: advocating for physio services

A C T I V I S T P R O F I L E

We all know that physiotherapists help healpeople’s bodies. But for this to happeneffectively, the medical decision-making

bodies need some rehab as well, says Scott Brolin,Professional Practice Chief of Physiotherapy at RoyalColumbian Hospital.

by LAURA BUSHEIKIN

Scott BrolinProfessional Practice Chief, Physiotherapy

Royal Columbian Hospital


Don’t waste time collecting data that

isn’t doing anything for us. Instead,

describe things we are not able to do

because of the workload. Talk about

the percentage of patients that we

can’t see because there are not enough

physios to handle the caseload.”

“

Scott Brolin hasdeveloped toolsand resources tohelp physiothera-pists advocate forphysio services.

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Current practices for workload measurement areoutmoded, he says. “The Workload MeasurementSystem described by the Canadian Institute ofHealth Information is actually only work measure-ment. It just describes what we do with our time.But our patients expect the right service from theright person at the right time. Unless we can meas-ure our ability to meet these expectations we aren’tmeasuring workload.”

As an example of an effective way to collect anduse data, he describes a pilot work load model fromhis workplace.

“One of our senior therapists took a select groupof patients: total hip and knee replacement patients.She looked not at how many physios they need basedon a historical level, but on what outcomes patientsneed and how to achieve that. She chose a list ofoutcomes that are specific to physio treatment. Thenshe tracked the time it took to achieve each of thoseoutcomes and compared it to pathway length andlength of stay.

“The results showed that with our current levelof staffing we were able to achieve all our rehabgoals within similar timelines to the pathway, eventhough the length of stay was longer than the path-way. This demonstrates that staffing levels seem to

be adequate to what we hope to achieve, and thatthe longer stay is due to other inefficiencies in thesystem.

“So should the axe start to swing again, “ he says,“we now have true data to say that with currentlevels of staffing we are able to achieve these desiredoutcomes, and with less we run the danger of notbeing able to do so.”

It’s this kind of research and solid informationthat will give physiotherapists a better chance of con-vincing decision-makers to maintain their pro-grams.

“Physiotherapy has in the past got less attentionthan, say, doctors and nurses. We’re still not on alevel playing field, but it is improving. That will de-pend on how well physios defend their services tothe public,” says Brolin.

“This is not exclusive to physiotherapy,” he adds.“The way forward for all of us as health care pro-fessionals is figuring out the value of our servicesand demonstrating that through patient outcomes.The decision-makers want to see a focus on keepingpatients as healthy as possible in a way that willkeep costs under control.”

With people like Brolin taking leadership on theseissues, there is cause to be optimistic. R


Postal code

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C H A N G E O F A D D R E S S

Province

Home tel.

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New home address

M O V I N G ?Your employer does notsend us address changes.We depend on you to letus know.

R E T U R N T O :

Health SciencesAssociation of B.C.300 - 5118 Joyce StreetVancouver, BC V5R 4H1

Member # (at top left of mailing label)

S u r n a m e

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Facility/worksite(s)

O R E M A I L :

[email protected]

THE REPORT WELCOMES YOUR LETTERS. PLEASE

KEEP THEM BRIEF AND TO THE POINT — ABOUT

200 WORDS, IF POSSIBLE. PLEASE TYPE THEM.

L E T T E R S

To HSA Education Committee:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the HSA forsending me to the CLC Harrison Winter School. I took part in

the course “Women in Leadership”, and had a very positive expe-rience. I not only met wonderful people in this union and others,I feel I have a stronger understanding of unions in general andhow they impact not only union members’ lives, but set the stand-ard for non-union members as well.

Women’s issues have always been a passion of mine. At first Iwas not sure why a union would offer a course like this as it didnot seem directly related to the labour movement. Since takingthe course, however, I realized just how relevant this course actu-ally is! Personally, I have always wanted to get more involved, butfelt that I did not have the skills to do this. I am very shy, soexpressing my views or speaking in front of people left me withsevere anxiety. In the course, we practiced public speaking in frontof our colleagues, and discussed many issues that relate to womenin leadership. We talked about the history of women in the labourmovement, what hindrances there may be for women in getting

involved, and how to work with our particular skills and abilitiesto be more effective voices.

This course made me realize that I do have a voice, and I wantto be heard. I look forward to using my new skills and newfoundconfidence in getting more involved. If there are any more coursesrelated to women’s rights or human rights in general, I would verymuch like the opportunity to attend, even at my own expense. Ihope this letter conveys a little bit of how much impact this op-portunity had on my life, both at work and personally.

With sincere thanks,Kristi Cole

Health Records AdministratorAssistant Chief Steward

Bulkley Valley District Hospital

Note: For information on HSA education programs and scholar-ships, contact Education Officer Leila Lolua at the HSA office.


C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

The story behind theheadlines: persistence

Rebecca Maurer, Director of StrategicCommunications and Member Development

by REBECCA MAURER

As most members are aware, last year an HSAmember working at Richmond Mental Healthwas killed on the job. Not surprisingly, his death

triggered a great deal of media interest in the issue ofworkplace violence and HSA was asked frequently tocomment on how this tragedy could have been averted.

Anyone who reads the newspaper or watches thenews on television understands that reporters needto explain an issue – no matter how complicated – injust a few sentences. But when it comes to violenceprevention and workplace safety, it’s just not thatsimple and this has presented a significant challengefor the union as we struggle to bring public attentionto this important issue.

We know that simplistic answers will get the head-lines, but does it move us anywhere closer to our realobjective of a safe and healthy workplace for ourmembers? Not really.

That’s why HSA has been working hard over thepast year to educate the media about the myriad of

where an attitude of “hey, it’s just part of the job” stilldominates.

The good news is that we are finally starting tomake some progress. Recently, HSA president CindyStewart and two HSA members who work in mentalhealth were interviewed by the CBC for a nationalseries on occupational health and safety. Shortly af-ter, we were contacted by the National Post, a newsradio station in Vancouver and a number of com-munity papers. Not only have we finally turned themedia’s attention to these issues, but HSA is increas-ingly viewed as a credible expert on occupationalhealth and safety, which is a tremendous credit to theHSA activists and staff who have worked so hard togive these issues the profile they deserve.

From a communications perspective, it remindsall of us that persistence pays off. It might be tempt-ing to give reporters that headline-grabbing quotethat they crave. But if our real goal is to educate andto bring about change in the workplace, we need toavoid sensationalism and stayed focused on the realissues.

In the short term, that approach means that HSAmay not be in the media in every story in which ourmembers have an interest. In the long term, though,HSA’s communications strategy is proving effectivein working to raise awareness among decision-mak-ers about the important and very real issues that af-fect our members at work. R

We know that simplistic answerswill get the headlines, but does it

move us anywhere closer to our realobjective of a safe and healthy

workplace for our members?

factors that contribute to workplace safety. Whilereporters would certainly prefer that we talk aboutmore security guards, panic buttons and self-defensecourses, we have focused consistently on the funda-mental issues that underlie many of the problemsour members face – unenforced regulations, dys-functional occupational health and safety commit-tees, protocols that are unclear or communicatedpoorly, and the overall culture of health care facilities

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A C R O S S T H E P R O V I N C E

Your participationkey to a strong union

Bruce MacDonald, Region 3 Director

by BRUCE MacDONALD

As a new member of HSA’s board of directors, Iam pleased to have an opportunity to introducemyself to HSA members and to reflect on what I

believe are important elements that contribute to a healthyunion.

I have been a union activist for mostof my work life. I have served as unionsteward in the US, Japan and Canada. InJapan, I participated in some difficultnegotiations, helping to hold together adivided workforce as we faced severechallenges. In Seattle, I helped organizesocial workers at Group Health Coop-erative from a weak professional associa-tion into affiliation with a strong andeffective health care union.

When I moved to Canada six yearsago, it was natural for me to become anHSA steward – and later chief steward atRoyal Columbian Hospital, where I workas a social worker. Before being elected asRegion 3 Regional Director, I served asMember-at-Large for Region 3, and wasa member of the union’s EducationCommittee. I was also fortunate to beelected as an alternate for the HSAHealth Science Professionals BargainingAssociation Bargaining Committee andparticipate in the latest round of bargain-ing. I have also served as a generalsteward, essential services liaison, andjob action coordinator.

HSA is the best union experience Ihave ever had. I have spoken to many ofour members from many worksites, andI have been impressed with our member-ship’s maturity and thoughtfulness. As a

group I think we are strong at workingthrough the anger and frustration wesometimes feel to come to reasonableand fair conclusions.

As Region 3 Director, I hope tocontinue and expand upon HSA’sthoughtful stance. With the rise ofprivatized health care, we will need toarticulate our positions carefully andcreatively, and keep ourselves organizedand strong.

Events of the past year have causedme to reflect a bit on what democracy isand how it serves people. We have hadan unusual year in that we have hadelections at the local, provincial andfederal levels. We also had a goodelection in Region 3, with three strongcandidates and a turnout of more than500 members. The good turnout suggeststo me that HSA members want to beinvolved in their union.

But democracy is more than elections.A democratic organization like HSA hasnumerous opportunities for members todevelop leadership skills and participatein the work of our union. With annualsteward elections, local chapter meetings,education sessions, annual convention,and committee work, there is no shortageof opportunity to get involved. Mostsites are below, some far below, the

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potential number of stewards we couldhave. It is usually not difficult to becomea steward, and HSA provides and paysfor excellent steward education work-shops. Stewards then have an opportu-nity to represent members at regionalmeetings and the annual convention.Stewards also serve on local committees,assist with grievances, and work with theemployer on health and safety issues.

And next year, HSA members will electa new president, as our current president,Cindy Stewart, has announced she willnot seek re-election. This is an importanttime for our union, and I encourage youto get involved and help shape the futureof HSA.

I look forward to meeting many ofyou over the coming months. If you haveany issues you would like to discuss withme or any board member, we can bereached through the HSA website atwww.hsabc.org. You can reach me [email protected].

Bruce MacDonald represents Region 3 onHSA’s Board of Directors.


ReportThe Report is dedicated to giving information toHSA members, presenting their views and providingthem a forum. The Report is published six times ayear as the official publication of the HealthSciences Association, a union representing healthand social service professionals in BC. Readers areencouraged to submit their views, opinions and ideas.

Suite 300 – 5118 Joyce StreetVancouver, BC V5R 4H1Telephone: 604/439.0994 or 1.800/663.2017Facsimile: 604/439.0976 or 1.800/663.6119

BOARD OF DIRECTORSThe Board of Directors is elected by members to runHSA between Annual Conventions. Members shouldfeel free to contact them with any concerns.

President [[email protected]]Cindy StewartPhysiotherapist, Vernon Jubilee

Region 1 [[email protected]]Suzanne Bennett, Youth AddictionsCounsellor, John Howard Society

Region 2 [[email protected]]Brian Isberg (Secretary-Treasurer)Medical Laboratory Technologist, Victoria General

Region 3 [[email protected]]Bruce MacDonald, Social WorkerRoyal Columbian Hospital

Region 4 [[email protected]]Agnes Jackman, PhysiotherapistGeorge Pearson Rehabilitation Centre

Region 5 [[email protected]]Reid Johnson, Social WorkerCentre for Ability

Region 6 [[email protected]]Rachel Tutte, PhysiotherapistProvidence / Holy Family Hospital

Region 7 [[email protected]]Audrey MacMillan (Vice President)Psychiatric Nurse, Chilliwack General Hospital

Region 8 [[email protected]]Joan Magee, Medical Laboratory TechnologistCariboo Memorial Hospital

Region 9 [[email protected]]Jackie Spain, Medical Laboratory TechnologistGolden & District General Hospital

Region 10 [[email protected]]Lois Dick, Medical Laboratory TechnologistDawson Creek & District Hospital

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORSRon Ohmart, Labour RelationsMaureen Headley, Legal ServicesSusan Haglund, Operations

MANAGING EDITORMiriam Sobrino

EDITORYukie Kurahashi

www.hsabc.org

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H E A L T H S C I E N C E S A S S O C I A T I O N O F B C

M A G A Z I N E

AWARD-WINNING

MEMBER PUBLICATION

T he Report, HSA’s official publication published six times per year,has been awarded the Ed Finn Award for best feature story by thenational 450-member Canadian Association of Labour Media

(CALM).The article “Health care workers face highest risk” by Carol Rivière and

Yukie Kurahashi was an in-depth feature on workplace violence in thehealth care setting. It featured HSA members’ experiences with violenceand the action taken to address workplace violence in the aftermath ofthe violent death of HSA member David Bland, a vocational therapist atRichmond Mental Health.

A PDF of the April/May 2005 Report can be dowloaded here:www.hsabc.org/webuploads/files/reports/vol26n2.pdf

The Report has won several awards in past years. The annual CALMawards recognize excellence in union publications and productions.Entries are judged by independent experts in a variety of categories andclasses.

For all 2005 award winners, visit the CALM website at www.calm.ca/awards.html

The Report wins national award

The occupational healthand safety concerns ofHSA members generated anation-wide stir, resultingin a labour media award.

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Keeping elected representatives informedP O L I T I C A L A C T I O N

Always printed on recycledpaper with vegetable-based ink

HSA’s constituency liaisons recognize theimportance of keeping MLAs up to dateon issues in health care and social services.

When our elected representatives meet HSAmembers and hear first hand about the work wedo and our concerns, we help them become better

from left: Fiona Kay (occupational therapist and HSA steward at Queen’s Park Care Centre in NewWestminster), Chuck Puchmayr (New Westminster MLA and Opposition Labour Critic), David

Cubberley (Saanich South MLA and Opposition Health Critic), Katrine Conroy (West Kootenay-Boundary MLA and Opposition Critic for Seniors’ Health), and Leah Scott (social worker at QPCC).

advocates for BC’s health and social services.HSA’s constituency liaisons across the province

have been helping to set up meetings with Liberaland NDP MLAs, as well as tours of facilities whereHSA members work. Watch for feature coverage inthe next issue of The Report.

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health sciences association august 2006 …...team, and help raise donations for breast cancer...

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