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SEPTEMBER 15, 1997

HEALTH SCIENCES ASSOCIATION ··~ Dis .pa .le hes

SASKATCHEWAN

Health Sciences is in the process of scheduling meetings with HSAS members in all of the Health Districts in Saskatchewan. Our goal is to meet with as many individuals as possible and solicit input from the various professional groups about current issues, future concerns and bargaining priorities.

We are also scheduling meetings with Human Resources staff in each District following the membership meetings.

At the membership meetings we

will be discussing matters raised by members and other issues such as 'postings' 'reclassifications' 'seniority' 'benefits', 'union structure' and 'union representation'.

In preparation for provincial bargaining and to learn more about the concerns of our members we are endosing a "Practitioner Unit Survey". We · are asking everyone to fill out and return the survey in the self-addressed envelope provided.You will have an opportunity to discuss this survey at our

---- - -=-=-.:=-=---=--.:..:· =--=-·:.:~- ---=·- -- -----=·---:.----=-=-==-- :: PRAIRIE WEST DISTRICT Kindersley Hospital Board Room Tuesday September 16, 7:00pm

MID-WEST DISTRICT Rosetown Hospital Board Room Wednesday September 17, 7:00pm

GREENHEAD DISTRICT Unity Hospital Board Room Tuesday September 23, 7:00pm

BA TTLEFORDS DISTRICT Don Ross Center, Room 11 O 891-99th St., North Battleford Wednesday September 24, 7:00pm

SASKA TOON DISTRICT Royal University Hospital Mall Lecture Theatre Thurs. Sept 25, 7:00pm _,

or St. Pauls Hospital Auditorium Tues. Sept. 30 7:00pm

LLOYDMINSTER DISTRICT Uoydminster Hosp. Conference Rm# 1 Wed. Oct 1, 7:00pm

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TWIN RIVERS DISTRICT MaidstoneHospital Basement Boardroom Thurs. Oct. 2, 7:00pm

NORTHWEST DISTRICT Meadow Lake Hospital Boardroom Tuesday Oct. 7, 7:00pm

REGINA HEAL TH DIS1RICT Wascana Rehab. Centre Auditorium Thurs. Oct 9, 7:00pm

or Regina General Hospital Auditorium Wed. Oct. 15, 7:00pm

MAMAWETAN I MUNffO USKIY DIST. LaRonge (Site to be announced) Thurs. Oct. 23, 6:00pm ~ ,

GABRIEL SPRINGS DISTRICT Rosthem Hospital Resource Room Tues. Oct . 28, 7:00pm

PRINCEALBERTD5TRICT Herb Bassett Home Meeting Room Wed. Oct.29, 7:00pm

NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT Melfort Hospital Boardroom Tues. Nov. 4, 7:00pm

NORTH-EAST DISTRICT Nipawin Hospital Multi-purpose Room Wed. Nov. 5, 7:00pm

PASQUIA DIS1RICT Wermac Mall, Meeting Room 904 101 st Ave Tisdale Thursday November 6, 7:00pm

CENTRAL PLAINS DISTRICT St. Elizabeth Hospital, Humboldt Basement Clas.5100m Wed. Nov. 12, 7:00pm

ASSINIBOINE VALLEY DISTRICT Canara Hospital Boardroom Wed. Nov.12, 7:00pm

LMNG SKY DISTRICT a

Lanigan Hospital Boardroom Thurs. Nov. 13, 7:00pm

EAST-CENTRAL DISTRICT Yorklon Regional Health Centre Boardroom 1lus. Nov. 1~ 7:(Xpn

NORTH VALLEY DISTRICT St. Peters Hospital, Mellville 1st floor Conference Room Mn No.t.17, 7:tX.pn

upcoming District meetings. Separate meeting Notices are

being provided only to those Districts that have meetings scheduled in September . For all other meetings refer to this issue and the next issue of DISPATCHES for date. time and location.

You are welcome to attend any meeting that is convenient for you.

PLAN TO PARTICIPATE! .•

TOUCHWOOD QU'APPEilE DISTRICT Week of November 17 (Date ard Location to be Announcm in the next DISPATCHES)

SWIFTCURRENTD5TRICT Week of November24 (Date ard Location to be Announcm in the next DISPATCHES)

ROLLING HILLS DISTRICT Week of November 24 (Date ard Location to be Announce:t in the next DISPATCHES)

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SOUTH-WEST DISTRICT Week of November 24 (Date ard Location to be Announcm in the next DISPATCHES)

SOUTH-COUNTRY DISTRICT n •• -

Week of November 24 (Date ard Location to be Announcro in the next DISPATCHES)

PIPESTONE DISTRICT Week of December 1 (Date ard Location to be Announcro in the next DISPATCHES)

MOOSE-MOUNTAIN DISTRICT Week of December 1 (Date ard Location to be Announcro in the next DISPATCHES)

SOUTH-EAST DISTRICT Week of December 1 (Date ard Location to be Announcro in the next DISPATCHES)

SOUTH-CENTRAL DISTRICT Week of December 8 (Date ard Location to be Announcro in the next DISPATCHES)

MOOSE·JAW!fHUNDERCREEK 'DISTRICT Week of Decl:rnber 8 (Date ard Location to be Announcro in the next DISPATCHES)

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E ES LABOUR RELATIONS 1 .. BOJ.\RD.MATTERS: The SGEU Long-term Disabil~Jy,Plan

A Labour Relations Board hearing 1l1e LRB also heard submissions insisting Umt tJie SGEU employees contribute tllc full premitmt of .88%! (Under the SGEU Plan members have been paying tJ ic full premium of l .251Yo).

was held on August 26, 1997 concerning the from SAHO and all the affected Unions on transfer of long-tenn disability coverage for the tJie issue of "premiums". Presenlly the SGEU members transferred into tJ1e new premiums under the General SAHO Plan ror bargaining units: Providers, Nurses and HSAS members are shared equally by llie Practitioners. employer and employees witil employees

HSAS submitted to the Board that the "premiums" for tJie SGEU Practitioners lrnnsfcrring into the SABO Plan slumld be the same as tl,ey are for all otl,er PractiJumers ;,, tlud. Pfau, (Le. .44% of gross regular eami11g.y.

...

At tlte hearing SGEU agroo:l to contributing .44% of gross regular monthly make September 28, 1997 tJ1e eCfective date of earnings through a payroll deduction. CUPE, tennination for SGEU coverage of SEIU, and SUN have higher premiwn Pla11s PlqClitioners under its self-administered plan. with SAHO. 111is means tJiat all Practitioner Unit As an interim solution tmtil ·new Employees will be transferred to U1c SAI-10 Provincial Agreements are negotiatoo, General Disability Income Plan. 11lis date was SAHO has agreed to transfer all U1e alfecled moved up from July 31, 1997 in order to to SGEU members (whether Providers, Nurses, give SAHO and the Health District Employers or Practitioners) to U1e SAHO General Plan.

f'L'• time lo implemeot then~ changes. w- Unfortwmtely, for Practitioners, they me also ~~ I

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~a:~. -.. Many employees might be surprised support and consent of all the other unions. to hear Umt though a number of wtions While HSAS was prepared to agree in representing them make contributions to the principle wiU1 tJ1e SUN proposat SElU

f ·J: SAHO pension plan, the plan itself is solely decided to withhold its support-and Uiis ·-...,,. r,. and exclusively administered by SAHO. effectively put Ute issue on Uie back-burner.

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During U1eir 1996 provincial In the meantime we have learned negotiations wiU1 SAHO U1c Saskatchewan lliat SAHO Plan has accwnulated a smplus Utlion of Nurses (SUN) proposed Umt the in tJ1e neighborhood of 100 million dollars! SAHO Pension Plan be declared "multi- As an 'employer administered' plan employer". there is, of cow-re, no 'legal' obligation for

111e obvious advantage to this sort of SABO to negotiate with the w1ions how the alternative is tltal tmions wouJd jointly share stuplus will be used. However? all healtl1-c1re wi9_1 the employer how tJ1e plan was unions are of tl1e opinion that there stj11 adlni.nistered. remains a moral obHgation for SAHO to

SUN realized Uiat if they were to discuss tJie issue with all affected pa11ics. succeed in this endeavor tJ1ey would need the .......-_..,._ RaU1er unfortunately~ SUN has

All HealtJ1 Care Unions have been infonned tJmt effective August 1, 1997 tile premium rate for Basic Group Life lnsunmce coverage will be increasing from 15 cents to 18 cents per $1000.CX.) coverage per month. The premium rate will remain unchanged for Ute following: Optional Life lnsura.nce, Voltmtmy, Accidental Death, Dismembennent and

Dependant coverage. In addition tJ1c Group Life

Insurance Plan bas been amended effective August 1997 to provide tJmt plan members who acquire a spouse or dependent child may apply in tl1e montl1 of Janumy of Ille following year for a maximtm1 of $70,000.00 in Optional lnsurnnce coverage without a

In our view it is discriminatory for former SGEU members to pay double tJ1e premimn for Ute same benefit. We await tlie Board's written decision on tJ1is matter.

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suggested in cortcspondence to SAHO llmt only representatives from SEIU CUPE and SUN be pa.rticipm1ts in discussions wiU1 SAHO regarding the issue of U1e swplus-eCfeclively excluding HSAS.

We have, of comsc, 110 i11te11tio11 of stepping asit/e while SAHO and three otJ1er tmions discuss hmv they \\ill deal with the pension plan su1plus that contributions from HSAS members helped to create!

In our latest correspondence lo SAHO we have made it clear Uial a fair and CTtllitablc process requires tl1e l)<'Uticipalion of all tmions whose members contribute lo l11e benefit plan.

medical. lf the plru1 member applies for optional insurance ex~ing $70,000.00 (maxinnuu $250,000.()())medical information must be submitted to Ute insmance carrier and • covcrnge is su~joct to tJ1e carrier's approval.

HSAS has rcx:iuestcd tlml the i.ncrc.asc in premiums and 0U1er amendments be placed in abeyance tmtiJ ncgolialoo.

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r ... .-Practitioner lnjim11ation Report arguments to add new occupational groups to decision making process. l11ere are some ve

d New Ai/ember F'cmns are being sent to the Practitioner Unit. ""' definite advantages lo signi..ng a membership! ''Ch Healtl1 District and Affiliate employer, BENEFIT OF JJSAS MEMJJE&\'JJJP a card. These advantages include: d all practitioners will be asked to complete Included in the fonns is an

ne of these fonns. 1110se of you who were Application for Membership in HSAS. We mployed prior to July 22/97 will be asked to are asking all practitioners who are not

~nrnplete U1e Practitioner l1?fim11atio11 members of HSAS to fill oul the membership '?eport; new employees hired a/ier Ju)y forms. 2/97 will be asked to complete the New For the renefit of there inc.lividuals 1ember Fom1. who were lransferroo from m10U1er w1ion or

1l1e completed forms will give us were not in any union (out-of-scope), HSAS n update on our original members, help us to has a duty under U1e Trade Union Act to :enerate a current mailing list, and provide us fairly represent its members whet.her or not "th infommtion alxxlt individuals \-\e have not they sign tmion cards. We stand finnly on the

1reviously reprerented It can also serve as :1 principle that each individual must have the asis for our new. "griev~mce" database. freedom to choose wheU1er they wish to join

An up-to-date and accurate data- tJ1e union Uiat represents them. will assist our bargaining team in However, we also believe tliat if we

.egotiating provincial, local or occupational are to be ru1 elf ective union our members ~emis and conditions and to support need to be meaningfully involved in the

* the right to ho/ti exec11tive office * the right to 'speak 011t' on issues of

importa,ice to you or your prof essio11al group

* tlte right to vote (e.g. to ratify the Collective Agreement)

* tlte right to attem/ annual co11ve11tio11s and other union meetings

* the right to atteml HSAS sponsere,I educationals

* a voice i11 ,/eve/oping union policy * access to unio11 information from

other HSA 11nions in other provinces * access to non-repayable emergency

lint/ educational grants

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__ _EX.sCUJIYE COU,NCIL THE ~ PRb rVINGJAl / G_o ·&.E;RNING ~~,B! lO .Y O._F~-H:S_A~S

The HSAS Executive Council is the governing body that establishes policies and conducts the business of the Association between Annual Conventions. Council members function as information conduits who listen to, and take note of the concerns and issues raised by co-workers. They report on these issues to HSAS staff or directly to the Executive Council.

Health Sciences is now responsible for bargaining on behalf of approximately 1800 individuals who are divided into 30 (28 active) professional groups working out of dozens of communities and facilities situated across the length and breadth of the Province.

One of the pivotal first issues we have had to grapple with was how our

Social Worker

Assessor Coordinator

[Wascana Homecare/ Client Assessment Services]

occupationally diverse, geographically dispersed membership could best be represented on Executive Council .

Our Constitution and By-laws already gives us some flexibility to designate individuals to represent an appropriate professional, occupational or composite group. Accordingly, it was decided to simply follow the procedure outlined in our present Constitution and create or assign Executive Council seats for those occupations and composite occupational groups that are new to HSAS .

At its August 21 meeting Executive Council approved an interim Council which will continue at least until the Constitutional Conference (scheduled '"ror

1 Natalie Horejda*[Nov . 1997) (Seat will be eliminated)

Spring 1998) confirms or amends the interim governing structure.

As of November 22, 1997 nine new seats will be created and one of the existing Council seats (Wascana Home­Care CAS) will be eliminated . The new (interim) Executive Council will be comprised of 17 Council seats. It was determined by Council that occupational or composite groups with more than 150 persons would have 2 seats on Council.

When all is said and done we will be electing 14 seats out of a total 17 at the Annual Convention! The Chart below sets out the existing and interim Executive Council structure . Nomination Fonns to fill the vacant positions are induded in this mailing of Dispatches.

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Speech Language Pathologist Audiologist Orthoptist Music Therapist

~~ ·~tt 1 Bill Feldbruegge* [Nov. 1997) I,~. I

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Respiratory Therapist Perfusionist

Dietitian Nutrit ionist

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1 Solange Lamont**[Nov . 1998)

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tToner ·· .. . n Control Prac I I al/· l'31_ - .i. I~ 8 lnfe~tloH alth lnsoector ="'';.,,~·~-~ Guenther**[Nov.199 1 Public e ·;. - :. "'"": r

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ft~.~~ Professional groups underlined are those groups that have not previously been represented by HSAS

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II ES LETTER .FROM [THE PRESIDEN [ -Ted Makeechak ·

Dear HSASA,!embers, As you know our Annual Convenlion

is coming up November 22, 1997. I encourage you to make every effort to be there since the decisions we make at this important event will shape the future of our union organization. AI1101m the items on Ute agenda will be Committee Rep»1s (rummarizing tlte ~on•s affairs over the }XlSl 12 months), Re:olutio1~ and election of individuals to Exocutive Council.

In my role as President of HSAS I have been fortunate, over the last year to witness and participate in the fonnation of a new organization. When the vote count finally detemlined that we would be the union representing Practitioners U1eri was a collective sigh of relief Umt it was finally over, a feeling of trepidation at U1e enom1ous and daunting task ahead, and a shared conviction that our Association will be able to offer a genuine wiion alternative to professional employees in health­care.

For existing members of Executive Cow1cil the key will be to provide a background of experience and continuity while remaining open lo new ideas and different approaches. l11e newly elected Executive Council members wi II have their work cut out for Uiem forging a new constitution, preparing for bargaining and

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helping lo keep labour relations staff apprised of various workplace issues, conccn 1s at id problems.

l11ere ru·e a host of labour relations problems revolving around wlion jwisdiction and job classification. We are also discovering that llk'lll.J individuals in our Practitioner Unit have historically had to 'fend for themselves', or, for one reason or ru10ther. have been treated diCferenUy Umn Uieir professional collegues a11d co-workers. We 1nust address ll1esc is.sues in a timely, principled, and if need be, aggressive mmmer.

Memiwhile, on ll1c admi1listrntive level, Executive Cow1cil and Labour Relations Staff have been immersed in U1e practical problems llmt emerge in any period of t.nmsition. Among otl1er U1ings we have been, busy going lluough ll1e recmit.menl process in search of LRO's and secretmial staff: generating data-base fom1s; purchasing new computers mid computer sonwm·c; moving from a rall1er cramped office to more reasonable qumtcrs; opening a new office in Regina: organizing matc1ials mid infonnat.ion for practitioner meetings in all of tJ1e districts: putting togctl1er a Practitioner Unit Survey and preparing for the upcoming Convention.

My tcnn as President. will c:-.virc as of

All: HSAS Members

T", WHAT: f°;',{ 1997 ANNUAL CONVENTION

November 22 mx.l I would like lo elm! by extending my tJmnks to our Labour Relations staff for ll 1e mmvelous job they have done before, dming, mid after the vote campaign, mid to aJl of our Cow1cil Members and volunteers for taking so much t.ime out of l11eir lives to get the HSAS message out.

Finally, on behalf of Executive CotmciJ and staff I want to coinmend the emergency crews that resp0nded to ll 1e tragic Via Rail accident Wednesday September 3. Emergency Medical Technicim1s (EMl) and Paramedics were praised by both passengers and residents ofl11e area for Uieir remarkably prompt intervention. After reading the newspaper coverage of ll1e Via Rail accident I was reminded Umt saving lives mid comforting Uie sick and iqjw·ed is not so much a '.iob' healll1-carc professionals· do. but an obligation ll1ey realize and finally. a commitment tl1ey keep-­cvc1y day of ll1eir life.

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I hope lo see you al ll1e upcoming Annual Convc11tjo11!

Sincerely.

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WH .. ERE: ' Saskatoon Inn, (Canadian lloom), City of Saskatoon

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Complin1entary wine, beer and hors d'oeuvres to follow!!!

GEN DA : The Convention Agenda and list of Nominees for election to Executive Council will be published in he pre-convention issue of DISPATCH ,~·s

SOLUTIONS : Members are invited to propose resolutions for discussion al the Annual Convention . esolutions received on or before October 15, 1997 will also be published in the pre-convention issue 1/SPA1CH~-S

PRE:~REGISTER l FORcCTHE UPGOMING CO.NVENTION! -! If you are planning to altend the Annual Convent.ion, please fill in the Pre-Registration form included with this issue of

DISPATCHES . We will endeavor to coordinate •car pools' once we have received the completed Pre-Registration forms . HSAS will reimburse gasoline expenditures onlv for those individuals in a car pool who have pre-registered .. When you have completed the form you may enclose it in the self-addressed envelope provided with the Practitioner Unit Survey. Be sure to m,lil the envelope contllinillg your Pre-Registratio11 Form ,mt! the completed Survey 110 /titer than October 24, 1997 .

#2-'3002 Louise St. Saskatoon, Sask. S7J-3L8

Saskatoon Office: (306) 955-3399 Fax: (306) 955-3396 Toll Free: 1-888-565-3399

Regina Office: (306) 766-4680 Fax: (306) 766-.4964

Executive Director: Tim Slattery Labour Relations: Alice Robert

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Administrative Assistant: Lynn Regier

Regina Office : Roberta Ekberg

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