Click here for "Solidarity Report" the newsletter for Component 4.

Residential Long-Term Care for Canadian Seniors

This study, by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, looks at the difference between profit and non-profit long-term care homes.

Arbitration award on policy grievance concerning criminal records checks for members in the Facilities subsector

Joint Re-training Fund

As part of the 2010-2012 collective agreement, the multi-union Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) negotiated additional funding and more flexible guidelines for the Joint Re-training Fund.

Those eligible must be regular employees, who are laid off or bumped due to contracting out, and covered by the facilities subsector contract.

Members who choose to bump, fill a vacancy, or take the enhanced severance package are not eligible to receive re-training funds.

There may be opportunities for group training to be sponsored – for those laid off and eligible for re-training monies – if there’s interest in training in a particular area by a large number of impacted members.

For more information, contact the Fund Administrator at 604-456-7184 (Lower Mainland) or toll-free at 1-877-476-7184, or by email: jointbill29retraining@heu.org.

FBA Education Fund

*New - September 2011*  The FBA Education Fund is currently accepting long-term and short term training applications.  Long-term applications are due October 28, 2011 5:00 p.m., and applicants will be notified of allocation decisions in November.  Short-term applications are processed as received complete (ie: course acceptance/registration), and it may take up to five weeks for a decision.

As of summer 2011, the FBA Education Fund has received a new $1.25M to allocate to members, bringing the total to $7.5M of FBA education funding since 2006.

The FBA Education Fund is a health care education and training fund managed by the unions in the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA).  The fund provides skills upgrading and career mobility opportunities for union members covered by the Facilities Subsector Collective Agreement.  The application and selection process is overseen by union members and staff.  Up until now, about 1500 applications for training assistance from every occupational group have been supported. 

Downloadable information
*Please read the overview documents before completing the application form. 
*If you are applying for Pharmacy Tech Bridging training, please use the Short-Term application.

• Overview of Short-Term Training
• Application form: Short-Term Training

• Overview of Long-Term Training
• Application form: Long-Term Training

FBA Education Fund FAQ

If you want a printed copy of the application form and FBA Education Fund information, contact your local shop steward, local executive or union servicing representative; or call the FBA Education Fund at 604-456-7146 or toll-free 1-800-663-5813, extension 7146

Bill 29 Settlement Agreements

Community Bargaining Association Agreement - PDF

Towards an Enhanced and More Accessible Home Support System for BC's Seniors

BCGEU members contributed to this new report from CCPA (May 4, 2009). It provides a plan for expanding home support in ways that support service integration and continuity of care, and takes into account the interconnections between quality of service for clients and working conditions for staff. Click here for the PDF.
 

"Quiet Bargain" ~ CCPA report

Most Canadians enjoy a higher quality of life because of the public services their taxes fund, says a new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).   Click here for CCPA report.

Submission to the Ombudsman on the Systemic Investigation of Seniors' Care in British Columbia

Classification Appeal Form for devolved government employees - updated October 2008

Community Health Subsector Benchmarks

Migrant Health Worker Project

Almost every country in the world faces a shortage of health care workers. But why are we trying to solve our problem by poaching trained care providers from poorer countries?

Unions from around the world are campaigning to draw attention to the plight of migrant health care workers and the impacts of recruitment campaigns launched by developed countries on the health care systems of poorer ones. Bad working conditions, low wages, the promise of better opportunities, and aggressive recruitment campaigns are the main reasons why health care providers from developing, or ‘sending’ countries migrate to developed or ‘receiving’ countries.

But the loss of skilled care givers to mass recruitment campaigns launched by developed countries puts added stress on already weak health care systems in poor countries. It means that health facilities in some parts of the world are forced to close, and more people lose all access to even basic care services.

The BCGEU and NUPGE are working with the Public Services International (PSI) on a Migrant Health Care Workers project which has been initiated in 16 countries. The unions want governments like Canada’s to adopt a series of ethical guidelines to protect against poaching, which has a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of people in poorer countries.

Resources

Click on links below to download PDF file of documents.

Migrant Women in Health Sector

Fast Facts

A series of fact sheets providing social, economic and related health care information - prepared mainly for migrant workers:

Passport to Worker Rights

A quick pocket-size reference on worker and union rights in Canada:

   

Airfare Equivalent Estimate