COVID-19

During these challenging and disruptive times, the PEA is still online and providing service and support to our members. The PEA office will be closed until at least March 29. You can view all PEA updates here.

Updates by chapter

FMA | GLP | HESU | HSP | LSL | LSS | OGC | ORL | SMS | UVIC

HSP — Health Science Professionals

Health Science Professionals who work for regional health authorities are represented by a bargaining association.

PEA members — physiotherapists, pharmacists, psychologists and public health engineers — make up a small part of some 10,000 professionals.

Apart from PEA, other unions in the bargaining association include the Health Sciences Association (HSA), the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) and others.

At Your Fingertips

Need Help?

Your Labour Relations Officer is Rhiannon Bray, 250-385-8791 ext 204

Find Your Local Rep

Team/Unit	Local Rep
Central & North Vancouver Island - Physiotherapists	Vacant - to volunteer contact Rhiannon Bray

Central & North Vancouver Island - Psychologists and Public Health Engineers	Vacant - to volunteer contact Rhiannon Bray

South Vancouver Island	Vacant - to volunteer contact Rhiannon Bray

Interior - East

Interior - Central	Amanda Bartlett 250-862-5114

Interior - North	Alyssa Beaven 250-851-7917

Interior - South	Denise Rheaume 250-770-3511

Fraser Health Authority - Fraser North	Vacant - to volunteer contact Rhiannon Bray

Fraser Health Authority - Fraser South	Ronda Field 604-897-0189

Fraser Health Authority - Fraser EastVacant - to volunteer contact Rhiannon Bray

Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission	Shauna Darcangelo

Fraser Health Authority and PHSA (BC Centre for Disease Control Services Commission)	Vacant - to volunteer contact Rhiannon Bray

HSP Collective Agreement Documents

HSP Collective Agreement - 2014-2019

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HSP Memorandum of Settlement 2019-2022

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Wage Schedules

HSP Executive

Chairperson: Ronda Field, 604-897-0189

Vice-Chair: Zaheen Rhemtulla, 604-524-7907

Secretary: Vacant

Treasurer: Cindy Ashton

Member-at-large: Sarah Henckel-Sutmoller, 250-850-2180

Member-at-large: Alyssa Beaven, 250-851-7917

Member Programs

HSP offers two programs for PEA members in this Chapter:

Professional Development funding
An Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP)

You can find out more about both programs here.

HSP News

FAQs: COVID-19 and Health Care Workers

Monday, March 23, 2020

Updated March 23, 2020

Workplace Safety Amidst COVID-19

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Dear HSP members,

Thank you all for the important work you are doing on behalf your communities. Our members' safety is of utmost importance during this provincial health emergency.

COVID-19 Update for HSP Members

Friday, March 13, 2020

Dear HSP members,

The PEA has been closely monitoring the continually changing COVID-19 pandemic.

HSP AGM 2019

HSP AGM

The HSP AGM will be held via teleconference this year on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Members are encouraged to attend. Contact membership for the call-in numbers .

The agenda for the meeting is below:

Call to order / Establishment of Quorum:

0.0. Additions to Agenda

1.0 Review of 2018 AGM minutes (log-in required)

2.0 Business arising from 2018 AGM

3.0 Chairperson’s Report

4.0 Treasurer’s Report

4.1 2018 Financial report, 2019 YTD Financial Report

4.2 Expenses - scan and send lunch receipts to Treasurer Cindy Ashton

5.0 LRO report

6.0 HSP Committee Vacancies / Nominations/ Elections

Chair (currently Ronda Field)
Vice-Chair (currently Zaheen Rhemtulla)
Treasurer (currently Cindy Ashton)
Secretary (currently vacant)
Member-at-Large (currently Sarah Henckel-Sutmoller)

7.0 New Business

HSP AGM Minutes 2018

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2018 Financial Summary

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2019 Financials Year-to-date

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HSP Collective Agreement FAQs

Compassionate Leave

Article 15 - Compassionate Leave

Regular employees are entitled to paid compassionate leave to deal with the death of a family member or relative as listed in the article. Members may also be granted paid time for travelling.

The time off for compassionate leave does not have to be consecutive and does not have to be at the time of death. The leave is for the purpose of grieving and the process of grieving for each individual is different.

Full-time employees are entitled to 22.5 hours for compassionate leave with an additional 7.5 hours available under the Article 20 - Special Leave provisions.

Members are entitled to take compassionate leave in the event of the death of a spouse, son, daughter, mother, father, (or alternatively step-parent, or foster parent) sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, legal guardian, legal ward, or grandparents, step-child, grandchild and relative permanently residing in the employee's household or with whom the employee permanently resides.

Travel for compassionate leave

If travel is required, an additional 15 hours with pay are available under this article and an additional 7.5 hours under the Article 20 - Special Leave provisions. This time can only be claimed for travel on days when the member was scheduled to work.

The employer is obliged to honour requests for compassionate leave, and must make every effort to grant additional compassionate leave of absence without pay if requested by the member.

It is not necessary for a member to prove that she requires the time off.

Part-time members

Compassionate leave under Article 15 is not pro-rated for part-timers. However, the additional time off under Article 20 - Special Leave is prorated for part-timers.

Generally speaking, the purpose of these provisions of the contract is to ensure that members do not lose income because of the time off required to grieve a death in the family. Compassionate leave is not available if a member is on an unpaid leave of absence.

Let’s explain this. Alice, a full-time Pharmacist, loses her mother. Alice must travel to the United Kingdom for the funeral. Under the collective agreement she is entitled to 30 hours of compassionate leave and 22.5 hours for travel for compassionate leave. In total, Alice may take seven (7) workings days off to grieve the loss of her mother.

Transportation Expenses

Transportation Expenses

There are three main sections in the collective agreement that relate to Transportation Expenses. They are all found under Article 26.

Mileage (Article 26.01)

The employer pays 52 cents a kilometre for business related mileage, with a minimum of $2.00 for each round trip. All work-related travel during the day is reimbursed by the employer.

Expenses (Article 26.02)

A member is also entitled to reimbursement for reasonable expenses related to travel, on the submission of receipts. Although employers may develop their own policies regarding expense claim reimbursement, such policies must be reasonable.

Expenses can include taxi fares, parking expenses, meals and accommodations, depending on the circumstance.

Insurance (Article 26.03)

When a member is required to use her car for work, the employer must pay the difference between the cost of auto insurance which the member would otherwise purchase, and the cost of insurance for business use.

Sometimes it’s easier to understand collective agreement language by using an example. Let's say there is a Physiotherapist by the name of Samantha who works very close to her home and doesn't need her vehicle to commute to work. Her employer assigns her to use her vehicle to visit patients in the community. According to this article her employer would be required to pay the difference between her business use insurance and her personal insurance. The employer would also need to pay her mileage at 52 cents a kilometre for any trips with a minimum of $2 for each round trip.

HSP Constitution

ARTICLE IV — Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the HSPC shall consist of three members, elected annually. The Executive Committee shall appoint from among its members a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and a Secretary-Treasurer.

The Chairperson shall preside over HSPC meetings and, in his/her absence, the Vice-Chairperson shall preside.

A quorum of the Executive Committee shall be two members, and shall have the authority to take such measures in carrying out HSPC objectives as are consistent with the Professional Employees Association Constitution.

Should a vacancy occur on the Executive Committee, the remaining members may appoint a replacement from the HSPC membership for the remainder of the instant term of office.

Decision of the Executive Committee shall be by majority vote, except that the Chairperson shall only vote in the case of a tie. The HSPC shall rotate its entitlement to appoint an Association Executive member with the Community Health Services and Support Chapter on an annual basis. When it is entitled to do so, the Executive Committee shall appoint from among its members an Association Executive member. The term of appointment shall be one year, effective at the close of the Biennial Association Convention in odd-numbered years, and effective on June 1 in even-numbered years.

ARTICLE V — Executive Elections

The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of two members not later than 35 days prior to the Annual Meeting.

The Nominating Committee shall prepare a list of candidates who have signified that they are willing to stand for Executive office. Nominations may be put forward to the Nominating Committee by any members of the HSPC.

The Nominating Committee shall put the list of standing Candidates to the general membership for their vote. Ballots shall be delivered to each member or mailed to his/her last known address not later than 21 days prior to the Annual Meeting. The date by which the ballot is to be returned shall precede the Annual Meeting, and newly elected members of the Executive shall assume their duties at the ensuing Annual Meeting, except that the first Executive Committee shall assume office at the time of its election.

In this section

The PEA was formed in 1974, by a group of professionals working in the public sector. The story goes that the founders of the union mortgaged their houses to fund negotiations of the union’s first collective agreement.

Now, the PEA is BC’s union for professionals. We represent a wide range of professionals including lawyers, foresters, engineers, agrologists, teachers, veterinarians, fundraisers, physiotherapists, pharmacists, psychologists program managers, librarians and more.

Our union is led by the PEA Executive. They represent members from across the chapters of the PEA and set the overall vision and direction for our union.

Resources for our members

Navigating a union can sometime be a challenging process. Under this section of the website you will find resources to help you navigate the PEA. In the members section you'll find expense claim reimbursements, information on the PEA's scholarship and bursary program and our grants and donations program.

Collective bargaining and job action resources explain the process of collective bargaining and what to do in the unlikely event of job action.

Local reps can also find resources to help them complete their job more effectively. This includes ways to welcome new members, how to take notes in investigation disciplinary meetings and more.

The heart of our union

The PEA is made up of nine chapters, or groups of members who either work for the same employer or are in the same field of work. Each chapter has an elected executive tasked with running the affairs of the chapter. Each chapter is entitled to representation at the PEA Executive, the governing body of the union.

Our members work for a range of employers: the Province of BC, the University of Victoria, St. Margaret's School, the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program, the Oil and Gas Commission, the Law Society of BC, Legal Services Society, the Okangan Regional Library and health authorities across BC.

Professionals need unions now more then ever

Since the 1970’s, when the PEA was formed, our mission has been to ensure our members can work in safe, productive environments and receive fair and reasonable wages and benefits for the valuable work they do. We help individuals and groups of professional workers to understand the challenges they face in their workplaces and some of the solutions available to them.

We work with potential members to become certified as a union and achieve the wages, benefits and respect they deserve.

The Professional | Volume 46 Issue 1

The Professional is the PEA's award-winning, quarterly magazine for members.

The January-February 2020 issue includes a Vancouver Sun op/ed piece from PEA Executive Director Scott McCannell on the Legal Services Society strike.

Read the January-February 2020 issue

The PEA was formed in 1974 to represent licensed professionals in the BC Public Service. Since then the organization has grown to include a wide range of professionals from across BC. Find our more about our governance, staff and strategic direction.

COVID-19

HSP — Health Science Professionals

At Your Fingertips