Dispatches October 1989

HEALTH SCIENCES ASSOCIATIONOF SASKATCHEWAN NEWSLEIIER

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The Official Newsletter of the Sciences Association of Saskatchewan 1231 - 8th Street East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7H OS5 343-6611

Health

October

Official WHO: All UHAT: UHERE:

H.S.A.S. Annual

1989

Notice

Members

General

Kindersley Saskatoon

-

Meeting

Room, (corner

3rd Floor, of 1st

Holiday Avenue

Inn and

22nd

East) UHEN:

1:00

p.m ..

Saturday,

October

21,

1989

UHY: The Annual General Meeting is the supreme decision making body of our Association.

Its success depends upon your involvement.

Please plan to attend.

Street

2

Annual 1:00 1:20 1:30

General

Meeting

Agenda

- 1:20 - 1:30 - 3:00

- Registration - Introduction and Uelcome

by President Ekberg - Guest Speaker - Maureen Whelan Topic: Professionalism vs. Unionism (see page for details) 3:00 - 3:30 - Coffee, water break tea, juice, 3:30 - 5:30 - Business Meeting (see Agenda below) 5:30 6:30 - Social with complementary wine/beer and hor d'oeuvres 7:30 - Annual President's Dinner for all incoming and outgoing Executive Council members, Hospital Representatives and Board of Governors.

Business

Meeting

3

Agenda

1.

Adoption of Agenda 2.

Adoption of the October 22, 1988 Annual General Meeting minutes President ' s Annual Report 3.

4.

Financial Report 5.

Auditor 's Report (copies available from Executive or the H.S.A . S. Council Members, Hospital Representatives Office from October 16, 1989 onwards) 6.

Executive Director's Annual Report 7.

Committee Reports : (a) Communication (b) Grievance (c) Education the 8.

Election of Executive Council members to represent following groups; Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Uork and Therapy, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, *Social Language Pathology. * Due to a resignation in Speech Work will midterm, the member elected to represent Social serve for only one year.

~--

4tJo.J'>"l~J.)

1 Lc(1j;y

3

cw IJ-'{.i..-(.,. ~--~ 9.

Old Business : Amalgamation of Professional ( a) and Technical Agreements Collective (b) Reduction of Initiation Fees Fund (c) Establishment of an Emergency 10 . New Business: (a) Discussion on feasibility of H.S . A . S. adopting a charity(s) on a year to year basis from Executive Council to provide a $10 per (b) Proposal meeting honorarium for Executive Council members 11 .

Proposed amendment to the H.S.A . S. Constitution and (See page 5 for details) addition to the H.S.A.S . Bylaws 12. Member's Resolutions 13. Adjournment Attention

H.S.A.S.

Members

- Regina

and

Prince

Albert

will provide transportation The Association to and from the are interest Annual General Meeting.

If you in this offer, people before please contact one of the following on or October 16, 1989.

Roberta Ekberg, Regina home 781-2367 Bonnie Reed, Prince Albert home 784-1338 Guest

Speaker

Our guest speaker at the A . G.M. will be Maureen Uhelan, Assistant Executive Director and one of the founding members of the Health Sciences Association of British Columbia. over the past several years, Although a Nutrionist by trade, working in several capacities for the Maureen has been Her experience as a health care professional Association. and as a union employee uniquely qualifies her as a speaker on the topic of Professionalism vs. Unionism.

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4

The topic, Professionalism vs . Unionism, would seem to suggest some conflict or at least dichotomy between the really ?

Surely a member of a concepts.

But is there professional association can be a loyal union member as well .

Maureen will discuss what the appropriate role of is in the working lives of professionals each organization what should be expected of them in fulfilling those and group does roles.

The fact is that membership in the larger not need to mean that the interests of the individual will be subsumed and ways in which these may be professions with a union structure will be considered. advanced Maureen that you 1989.

encourages give this

Official H. S.A.S. Pursuant this is addition Executive 1989.

g10up

topic

discussion and some thought

to this end we ask before October 21,

Notice of: 1) A Proposed Amendment To The Constitution and 2) A Proposed Addition To 's By-Laws The ~.S.A.S.

to Article III Section 3 of the H.S . A.S. By-Laws an official notice that the following amendment and of the have been approved by three-fourths held on September 21, Council present at a meeting

It is now up to Meeting General and/or addition

those to will

H.S.A.S. members attending decide whether or not this take effect.

the Annual amendment

•I

5

l 1)

Proposed

Amendment Objects

of

To The the

H.S.A

Association

( &)

To provide a high standard of such that no pat i ent care proceedings would disciplinary be taken against any member who r efused to take part in any concerted refusal to provide se r vice either by strike or honouring any picket line.

2)

Proposed

Addition

. S . Constitution

To The

: (g)

To ensure patient safety participate 1 in the creation of an essential services committee at each health care facility in the event of a legal strike .

H.S.A.S.

By-Laws

VIII Disciplinary Powers Article Section I Every member of the Association is guilty of an who: (e) Work offence against the Constitution and By-Laws A Legal Work Stoppage : Works during a legal work During stoppage unless specifically authorized by decision of Executive Council.

Negotiations

Update

signed on April 3, Although the memorandum of agreement between H . S.A.S. and the S.H.A . provided for retroactivity to January 15, 1989, your Negotiating Team was successful p e rsuading the S.H.A . to back it up to January 1, 1989 .

1989

All local University agreed to

for been

negot i ations have been completed except Hospital .

At this facility all wording has and wear~ waiting for signatures.

in

6

Collective

Agreements

The new collective agreements h a ve arrived and are being distributed to currently employed H.S.A.S. members by members and Hospital Representatives.

Executive Council the H.S.A.S . Office for Please contact either of th e m o r your copy . our collective agreement Article 4.01 of futur e employees with employer to provide of their employment . the beginning Ex ec u t ive September

21,

Co un c il

requires an agreement

the at

Highlights

1989

- Executive Council received and accepted the resignations of Cindy Hayto, Saskatoon City Hospital Representative, and Doris Havard, Executive Council Member for Social Work.

Both resignations are to take effect October 21, 1989. was passed that S . U.N. be informed of our A motion approval in principle of their proposal (see below) and that serve as H.S.A . S.'s representative on the joint Tim Slattery council.

- that a joint council of health care S.U.N. 's proposal unions be forced to co-ordinate the investigation and our current health and identification of deficiencies in welfare plans.

- An amendment to the H.S . A.S. Constitution and an addition by three fourths of the to the H.S.A.S . By-Laws was approved Executive Council present - Tim Slattery reported he met with Kay Willekes, Executive Director of Health Sciences Association of Alberta, on August 25, 1989 in Edmonton.

He stated he took away several ideas that he hopes to apply to H. S . A.S.

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7

• - Roberta Ekberg suggested that H.S.A.S. hold a 1 1/2 day retreat in the near future for all incoming and outgoing Executive Council members.

The purpose of the retreat would be to provide a forum for the discussion of long range planning.

H.S.A.S.

Nature of Grievance

Hospital University Saskatoon

Grievances

-

Status

Statutory holiday for part-timers

pay

Resolved at Supervisor's

the

Resolved at Supervisor's

the

level University Saskatoon

-

Posting/Selection level Labour

Relations

Board

Matters

Saskatoon City Hospital has recently provided us with a list currently excluded from the scope of the of positions agreement .

These positions are as H.S.A.S. collective follows: of Therapies Director Manager of Physical Therapy Director of Material Management - Pharmacy Director of Pharmacy Assistant Manager of Pharmacy, Operations Manager of Pharmacy, Clinical However, the certification Relations Board allows for positions: Physiotherapy supervisor Senior physiotherapist Chief pharmacist Assistant chief pharmacist

order the

issued following

by

the Labour out-of-scope

8

The Hospital has been informed that neither the Labour Board or H.S.A.S. has agreed to these additional Relations ha$ an obligation to exclusions and that the Hospital negotiate changes to the certification order with H.S.A.S. To date this matter is still outstanding. from oc~ring Situations like this may be prevented other Hospitals if members would please inform~ Executive Council member, Hospital Representative Executive Director, of hospitals attempting to positionA out-of-scope. additional Labour

t!

Myth

#4 Unions

are

always

making

in or take

1'1yths unreasonable

wage

demands

Uhat is a reasonable wage demand?

One that meets the workers' needs?

One based on the employers' ability to pay?

One that is tied to productivity?

The fact is that nobody for determining wage has yet devised a workable formula increases that would he considered reasonable by the workers, by their employer, by the public, the press and government .

Besides, most employers except occasionally when in genuine financial stress - still refuse to open their books to union negotiators.

Unions are thus denied access to the data on profits, productivity and labour costs that they order to formulate reasonable demands.

The must have in our private enterprise only alternative unions have in society is to go for as much as they think their members are entitled to get.

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9

•

Brochure

•

This committee Deanna Harbidge

Committee Terry .

is made up of and Tim Slattery

Akister,

Carol

Cohen,

has decided two brochures a.re required, one The Committee for organizing new members and one for new employees beginning work at H.S.A.S. facilities.

Draft copies of each brochure have been produced and Executive Council members have been asked for their comments.

It is Executive

hoped final drafts Council Meeting .

Office

will

Automation

be ready

for

the

next

Committee

Akister, The . Office Automation Committee made up of Terry Ron Currie and Tim Slattery have developed a database format.

To ensure the Association has sufficient information on each member to input in to the database the Committee has redesigned the H.S.A.S. initiation form.

At their approved Committee comments

September 21, 1989 the redesigned initiation that the form be given prior to printing.

For

Your

meeting Executive form and agreed to e~ch hospital

Council with the for their

Information

The Supreme Court of Canada recently decided that an which employer's sickness and accident insurance plan excluded pregnant employees from receiving benefits during the 10 weeks before the week of confinement and six weeks after the week of confinement was discriminatory.

10

The Facts: Canada Safeway maintained a group insurance plan for lts employees which provided amongst other coverage, benefits for loss of pay due to accidents or weekly sickness.

Under the pla11, pregnant employees were excluded from receiving benefits during the 17 week period commencing 10 weeks before the week of confinement and ending six weeks after,~xemption from coverage was absolute, regardless of was unable to report to work.

During the reason an employee part of the period of ineligibility, some coverage was available under the Unemployment Insurance Act. However, the benefits uuder the Act wer 路 e 1 ess that those for employees eligible under Canada Safeway's plan.

The complainant, an employee of Canada Safeway Ltd., filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission alleging the differential treatment of pregnancy in Safeway's plan constituted discrJmination of the basis of sex contrary to the Human Rights Act of Manitoba.

The Manitoba Rights Commission decided that although Safeway's plan discriminated on the basis of pregnancy, this was not discrimination on the basis of sex within the Act. 's app.;:al was dismisst!d as was her路 appeal to The complaina11t the Court of Appeal.

However,

at

the

Supreme

Court

of

Canada

she

was

successful.

The Decision: A summary of the S.C.C. 's decision is as follows: A benefit plan under .which preanant employees receive less favourable treatment than other employees is discriminatory.

Discrimination is a distinction, whether intentional or not, but based on grounds relating to p~rsonal characteristics of the individual or group, which has the effect of imposing burdens, obligations or disadvantages on such individuals or group, which are not imposed upon others, or which withholds or limits access to opportunities, benefits and advantages available to other members of society.

11

By making pregnant women ineligible for compensation for a 17-week period, regardless of the reason they were unable to work, the respondent's plan singled out pregnancy for disadvantageous treatment and was therefore discriminatory.

The plan was not justifiable on the basis that pregnancy was neither an illness or an accident, nor was it was voluntary.

Although justifiable on the basis pregnancy pregnancy is not a sickness or accident, in our society it is indisputable a valid health related reason for absence from the workplace and should not have been excluded from the plan.

Moreover, one of the purposes of antidiscriminatlon legislation is the removal of unfair which have been imposed upon individuals or disadvantages groups.

Failing to find the respondent's plan discriminatory would undermine this purpose of sanctioning costs of procreation the imposition of one of the major pregnant women, which is one of the most entirely upon significant ways in which women have been disadvantaged in society.

The argument that pregnancy was a voluntary condition was not compelling; pregnant women were not excluded from compensation until ten weeks before the week of confinement.

Nor was the plan justifiable on the basis merely underinclusive of the risks it could that it was insure.

Discrimination does not depend on a finding of invidious intent, and the effects of underinclusion may simply be a backhanded way of permitting discrimination.

Moreover, benefits available through employment must be disbursed in a non-discriminatory manner.

Finally, although might have been discrimination on the basis of sex permissible in employee benefits had regulations been passed pursuant to S. 7(2) of the Act, no such regulations had been passed.

The only conclusion to be drawn from this was that discrimination in ~mployee benefit packages was not permissible under the Act.

12

Discriminati on on the basis of pregnancy is discrimination on the basis of sex .

Pregnancy is a condition uniqu e to women, and discrimination on the basis o f pregnanc y i s a f o r m of sex discrimination because only women have the capacity of become pregnant.

Accordingly, a distinction bas e d on pregnancy is not merely a discrimination between those who are pregnant and those who are not, but between the gender which has the capacity for pregnancy and the gender which does not .

Earlier decisions otherwise are based on an approach to which held interpreting huruan rights inconsistent with the approach enunciated by the Supreme Court of Canada in more recent decisions .

As well, a law will not be saved merely because has application . it operates equally among those to whom it Although not all women are pregnant at any one time,~ discrimination on the basis of pregnancy is still sexual who is not a discrimination, as it does not affect anyone woman .

Final l y, the fact the some provincial legislatures have amended the definition of ttsexual discriminationtt so as pregnancy does not indicate the term ttsexual to include does not include pregnancy. discriminationtt What

Does

This

Decision

Mean To H.S . A . S.

Both the Saskatchewan Health Care and Disability Income Plans exclude employees leave of absence from receiving benefits. light of this S . C.C. decision, In neither the discriminatory?

To date Regina have answered this question .

"~

Members?

City on

Regina of a pregnancy

is this S.H.A. or

pr~ctice City of

13

iiL Asia,

Sho~t Term Overseas Placements in America, Africa, The Caribbean, Central South America or South East Asia

Canadian Crossroads International, a charitable organization international development and education in Canada promoting overseas, is seeking 220 Canadian volunteers for and placement lengths varying from four months to one year.

You b~ placed in one of thirty-six Third Uorld countries. could require cultural sensitivity, adaptability and Applicants promoting international awareness.

The commitment to age is 19 years with no maximum age.

Our oldest minimum was 73.

A specialized skill is not essential. volunteer receive extensive training.

A living allowance, You will and accommodation are provided .

Each participant airfare part of the program costs .

The deadline for must raise applications is September 25, 1989.

The Western Regional Office #101, 10920 - 88 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6G OZl (403) 433-8015

"What we ti Pedi.sa uault for intelligent life or1 this planet."

14 Executlve The Executive Council the business of the The current Meetings.

ls the governing body that between Annual Association Council members are:

Roberta Ekberg Pasqua Hosp.

Deanna Harbidge University Hosp.

Ed Dewhurst University Hosp.

Michelle Ross University Hosp.

Janice Peterson* University Hosp.

Lesley Chlopan** University Hosp.

Nahid Ahmad University Hosp.

Doris Havard*** Hosp.

University Jenny Okroj Gen. Hosp.

Regina

conducts General

Group Represented

Executive Position

Name

* Janice Coordinator effective Executive

Councll

Pharmacists

President

Council

Member

Council

Member路

Council

l'Iember

Council

Member

Physical Therapists Radiology and l'Iedicine Nuclear Technologists Occupational Ther路aplst Lab. Technologist Speech Pathologists Psychologists

Council

Member

Social

Council

Member

Dietitians

Fir 路st Vice President Vice President Sec./Treasurer

Workers

Peterson began serving as the tJ.H.M.I.S. at University Hospital on a temporary basis March 1989.

Until she returns to the Lab, her Council duties have been assumed

by Terry Akister.

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15

**Freda Toffolo-Frost was Member for Speech Pathologists; Executive Council in January assumed

by Lesley Chlopan. *** Doris Havard has Social Uorkers effective

resigned October

Hospital Uith

the

elected Executive Council however, Freda resigned from 1989.

Her duties have been as 21,

the Representative 1989.

for

Representatives

Executive

Council being composed of representatives proÂŁeaalonal, occupatlonal or compoalte sroupa, there are altuatlon whlch arlae where a Hoapltal may not have an H.S. A.S . contact within the institution.

To ensure ~n H.S . A.S. physical pr~sence in these hospitals, the for Hospital Representatives who serve Association provides ~~ ~ l~AjQn batwean H.S.A.S. membera and the Executive Council and Executive Director.

f~om va~lou~

Hospital Victoria Union Hosp.

- P.A. St. Paul's Hosp. - Saskatoon Saskatoon City Hospital - Saskatoon Plains Health Centre - Regina

Name Bonnie Reed Ted l'lakeechak Cindy Hayto* Andrew Pedersen *Cindy

has

resigned

effective Board

of

October

21,

1989.

Governors

The Board of Governors provide guidance and counsel to the matters within the administration Executive Council on all Any member having served more than one of the Association. term of two years on the Executive Council, and having full held either the office of President , First Vice President or one full term of two years Secretary/Treasurer for at least in such office elected by the Executive Council shall be eligible for election to the Board of Governors for a term of seven years.

16

The current

Gove r nor

is:

Ron Currie H.S . A . S . Staff

Tim Slattery

Di r ector

- Executive

Committees Finance

ii

I

Committee

Certification

Committee

- Chairperson Ed Dewhurst Ted Hakeechak Frank Bertoia Tim Slattery

Tim Slattery Terry Akister Ted Makeechak

Education

Grievance

Committee

Janice Peterson Michelle Ross

- Chairperson

Ron Currie Tim Slattery Communication Tim Slattery Terry Akister Cindy Hayto* Emergency

Ted Makeechak Barbara Fergusson Joanne Ualker Ed Dewhurst Roberta Ekberg Michelle Ross Terry Akister Tim Slattery

Committee - Editor

Brochure

Fund

Committee

Committee

Nahid Ahmad Cindy Hayto* Tim Slattery

Committee

Terry Akister Carol Cohen Deanna Hat'bidge Tim Slattery Office Automation Committee

* Cindy October I

I

t

has 21,

resigned 1989

effective

Terry Akister Ron Currie Tim Slattery

17

HAVE YOU CHANGEDYOUR NAME, ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER, PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT,OCCUPATION OR STATUS (Full-tlroe, Part-time, LOA, etc)??

If you have, please let us know by clipping of Information" form and forward it to the

H.S.A.S.

Ue are and it

membership information

in is

the pro~ess of important that

computerizing our we have up-to-date

file.

'But on the brighter side, in the event of a ~e. you may all be fireproof.' ,

out

the

"Change

office. files on

18

CHANGE OF INFORMATION FORM OLD INFO.

NEtJ INFO .

NAME:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-

ADDRESS:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PHONE NUMBER: PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OCCUPATION:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-

STATUS:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR tJe would Dispatches would like

like to provide space in future for members' comments.

If you have to see printed, please write to: Tim Slattery H.S.A . S 1231 - 8th Street East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7H OSS

editioris something

of you