Region 7 Regional Director Election

Candidates

Two candidates have been nominated to represent Region 7 members on HSA's Board of Directors: Sarah Kooner and Sonia Andhi Bilkhu.

Each candidate has submitted a candidate statement, which you can read by clicking on the candidate's name below:

A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a white top and a dark green blazer in front of a plain backdrop.

Dear HSA members of Region 7,

As current Region 7 Director, I am seeking your continued support. My various roles within the HSA have allowed me to closely work with and advocate for our members’ needs. Serving on the Political Action, Governance & Policy, Elections, and Resolutions Committees has sharpened my understanding members’ needs and interests. My attention to detail and active listening skills enable me to accurately represent member interests while fostering a collaborative environment.

As an advocate and passionate director, I used my voice to represent our richly diverse membership and I have consistently demonstrated ability to empathize with members, allowing me to see multiple sides of an issue and contribute to effective solutions. If re-elected, I will leverage my experience in government relations and lobbying to meet shared member needs. Specifically, I plan to advocate further for wages that adequately reflect the complexity and the uniqueness of our work, the required education/training, and the rising cost of living. I will continue to work towards improving equity in hiring practices and member benefits and on improving working conditions. I bring with me a fresh perspective, rooted in personal experience and cultural understanding that is essential for holistically representing the needs and interests of our HSA members.

I intend to continue to connect meaningfully with HSA members at chapter meetings and events as well as HSA events, to listen to and come to a deeper understanding of what is important to you. My goal is to find forward-thinking, inclusive, and long-term solutions that work for the HSA members of Region 7. I will keep offering transparency and honesty and will continue to work to earn your trust and support as an elected representative of the members of Region 7.

In Solidarity,

Sarah Kooner

A woman with shoulder-length curly hair, wearing a black shirt, looking into the camera with a faint smile, standing in what may be a kitchen.


Dear Members,

I am seeking your vote for the position of Region 7 Director.

As an active HSA member since 2007, I have been involved in various union roles. Over the past five years, I’ve served on several committees, including the Racial Justice Working Group, which led to the creation of the Racial Justice Committee. I am a delegate to the New Westminster District Labour Council, past member of the Political Action Committee, currently on the Women’s Committee, and an alternate delegate for the Racial Justice Group with the BC Federation of Labour.

As a social worker at Delta Hospital, an immigrant woman, and mother of three, I am passionate about advocating for workers’ rights, equity, fairness, and inclusion. I understand the difficulties of earning a decent wage, balancing family responsibilities, and managing burnout. While I value the hard work of our union leaders in improving wages and working conditions, I recognize there is still much more to achieve.

Region 7, one of B.C.’s fastest-growing regions, faces challenges in providing high-quality client support while also maintaining our own well-being. As your Regional Director, I will prioritize:

• Enhancing Communication: Ensuring regular updates and open dialogue between leadership and members.

• Strengthening Bargaining Power: Securing fair contracts, improving working conditions, and protecting job security and growth.

• Advocating for Worker Rights: Promoting workplace safety, equity, and respect for all.

• Empowering Our Members: Fostering a more inclusive and participatory union culture where everyone feels encouraged to engage and advocate for change.

I believe in the power of collective action to secure our rights. With your support, I will work diligently to represent our shared interests and strengthen our union.

Thank you for your consideration. Please contact me with questions and suggestions. @email

In solidarity,

Sonia Andhi Bilkhu

All Candidates Meetings

The all candidates meeting will be held online on Thursday, December 5 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Members should have received an email with a link to join the meeting; if you did not receive the link, please reach out to info [at] hsabc.org.

A recording of the meeting will be posted here for members who were unable to attend.

Voting Information

Voting will be online only, and conducted from 8:00 pm on December 9, 2024 to 8:00 pm on January 5, 2025. All members with a personal email address on file with the union will receive voting credentials for online voting by email. To ensure you are able to vote, please click here to update your contact information.

Voting credentials will be sent by Simply Voting directly to members on November 22. Please add Simply Voting to your safe senders list to ensure your voting instructions are not caught in your spam filter. All emails related to the vote will originate from @email and from one of the following domains: simplyvoting.com or o3.email.simplyvoting.com

Position Details

This is an excellent opportunity for members to serve on the HSA Board of Directors, contribute to the leadership of the union, and to represent the interests of other members. HSA’s Board of Directors comprises 10 Regional Directors elected by members from their region, and the President, who is elected every two years during the union’s annual convention.**

To be eligible to run for the Board of Directors, a nominee must have been a member of HSA for at least one year immediately prior to election, be in good standing, and be nominated in writing by two members in the region they are seeking to represent. The term of office is two years. Regional Directors may serve for up to three consecutive terms.

Responsible for the overall governance of the union, board members participate in Board of Director meetings, held at least quarterly in person – when possible – at the union office in New Westminster. Directors chair or participate on HSA’s governance committees, which meet at least two times a year.  They serve as HSA representatives to events and external meetings, chair annual Regional Meetings, and report to members in their region regularly. While the union provides wage replacement at Regional Directors’ regular rate of pay for shifts missed due to participation in meetings related to their role on the Board of Directors, as well as reimbursement for associated travel, accommodation, and dependent care costs, Regional Directors also devote considerable volunteer time to the position to allow for material review, responding to emails, and periodic evening meetings held by telephone or online.

The successful candidate will assume the position immediately upon election and serve until the conclusion of the union’s spring 2026 convention.

To obtain an information package, including a nomination form, please send an email to @email. Nominations will close at noon (Pacific time) on Friday, November 15.

** HSA has changed how the union President is elected. Starting in 2025, every member will be eligible to vote in an online election. Stay tuned for details on how to vote for HSA President in April 2025.

Other Information

Members in Region 7 may receive email messages from candidates for the position; under HSA policy, candidates are entitled to contact HSA members by e-mail for the purpose of campaigning in the election.

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