Health care conference takes the pulse

UFCW 1518 will hold a conference for members working in the community health and social services sector May 6-9 at the Sheraton Guilford in Surrey, BC.

About 90 activists and stewards will attend the conference, which will take the pulse of our membership in terms of issues, challenges and future vision. Through panels and workshops, the conference will focus on building solidarity, providing learning opportunities and preparing for bargaining for those members under the HEABC and CSSEA collective agreements.

“I’m excited to be bringing all of our members who work in community health and social services together to discuss important issues they experience every day,” said Secretary-Treasurer Kim Novak. “Our members face unique challenges, such as health and safety, and in particular violence on the job. We need to face those head on, and we need to face them together.”

Novak said that even though the union’s health care members may be working under different collective agreements, the opportunity to come together is “incredibly valuable”, especially with negotiations on the horizon. “Our members who work in health are passionate about what they do, and we’re looking forward to a conference focused on discussing the issues they’ve told us matter most to them, including much needed wage, benefit, scheduling and workplace improvements,” says Novak. “We are each other’s greatest allies, and by standing together in solidarity, we can fight unfairness in the workplace.”

The conference will feature a Labour Women in Leadership panel as well as sessions on the history of collective bargaining in the health care sector and how to organize and engage community health members. For members under the HEABC and CSSEA agreements, there will be sessions to review bargaining proposals and structure.

The Pulse, a daily e-newsletter published during the conference, will be emailed to all community health and social services members. Those wishing to receive the e-newsletter should ensure the union has their correct contact information. Please contact Member Records at 604.526.1518 to ensure your email address is updated and active!