News & Updates

HSA President Reid Johnson responds to Province editorial on the escalating costs of pharmaceuticals. Read the letter here.

There isstill room available in the two-day OH&S Steward Training workshop on November26 & 27, 2007. Please register as soon as possible if you are interested inattending this workshop. OH&S Steward Training: November 26 and 27, 2007 Eligiblestewards should print a pre-registrationform and return it to the HSA Office(Attention: Karin Herbert) as soon aspossible. HSA will call you to confirmyour...

The Report: November 2007 vol.28 num.5 Tips for proper glove usage Do: Wash your hands every time you don and doff gloves Use gloves properly Inspect gloves for tears and pinholes Change gloves frequently Understand task-specific glove usage procedures, especially when handling chemotherapeutic drugs Keep fingernails trimmed and remove jewellery Dont: Store gloves in areas with extreme temperatures Store gloves...

The Report: November 2007 vol.28 num.5 by LAURA BUSHEIKIN ike most health science professionals, HSA member Vikki Tellier can talk at length about ways to improve our health care system. And she has impressive credentials for such a conversation: five years as an occupational therapist, in addition to 21 years as a physiotherapist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, combined with...

The Report: November 2007 vol.28 num.5 Retired lab tech makes national news by fending off bear attack by LAURA BUSHEIKIN uring her 28-year career as a medical technologist, retired HSA member Jane Tillotson was regularly involved in saving lives with her professional skills. But her most celebrated life-saving act came a year after her retirement. This time, it was her...

The Report: November 2007 vol.28 num.5 n the last column, we outlined your privacy rights when an employerasks for proof after missed work due to illness. This time, we take alook at a similar issue: when an employee is entitled to workplaceaccommodation due to disability or health issue, how much medicalinformation must be disclosed ? Im returning to work after...

The Report: November 2007 vol.28 num.5 by REID JOHNSON t the end of October, I wrapped up my first series of annual RegionalMeetings. The Regional Meetings are an opportunity for me, and forboard members, to meet for a full day with stewards from workplaces inall ten HSA regions around the province, and to learn about the issuesthat are most important...

University of BC, School of Environmental Health, in cooperation with the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia presents Ergonomic Assessment of Upper Limb Risk Factors for Effective Return-To-Work Programs. There are a few spaces left in the November 3 and November 29 workshops. Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limbs, such as tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, are a major source of...

One of Canadas best labour schools, held at Harrison Hot Springs, in January and February 2008 The CLC Winter School offers a wide variety of week-long, quality labour orientated courses. Past HSA participants have rated the courses and the experience highly. The school offers an opportunity to meet people from other unions and workplaces across BC. To support HSAs ability...

HSA's Committee for Equality and Social Action urges you to join the BC Federation of Labour campaign to Raise the Minimum WageMinimum wage earners working full-time should earn enough to stay above the poverty line. That can only be achieved by immediately raising the minimum wage to at least $10.00 per hour.The B.C. Federation of Labour, in cooperation with other...