Region 9 Regional Director Election

Candidates

Two candidates have been nominated to represent Region 9 members on HSA's Board of Directors: Gina Sanche and Kathy Anderson.

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

A woman with dark, curly, shoulder-length hair, wearing a dark blue button down and standing in front of a neutral backdrop.

I am a sonographer, working at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson. I believe that good work gets done when we take the time to listen, to communicate honestly and respectfully, and to build relationships with folks on all sides of the table. 

I would like the opportunity to serve as your region 9 director so that I can be a strong voice for the rural experience on the board. Our working environments, resources, management, and staffing are different out here - our diverse membership and ideas must be brought to the forefront. 

I understand that a lot of our concerns as workers come down to matters of respect. Respect from our employer in that they abide by our collective agreement, pay us fairly, and allow us to use the benefits we work so hard to earn. But also respect from our union in the form of transparency and communication from the top - so that our members have a better understanding of how the union is working to support them, and to be sure their unique professions and needs are being represented. 

I have been the lead steward at KLH for the last 8 years. I have served as a delegate to our conventions and bargaining conferences, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on the resolutions committee. I’ve spoken up for my region often, by making sure our resolutions are debated as much as possible, and by shining a light on policies that have overlooked our communities. I have extensive grievance experience, and have met with the employer often to support our members. I feel inspired by these years of learning, while welcoming and acknowledging that there is always more to come. I am dedicated to bringing curiosity and courage to the HSA board table. 

Thank you for your consideration, Gina

A serious looking woman with long hair, wearing black with a beaded red dress brooch.

Hello fellow region 9 members, I am writing this from Golden, where I am a guest on the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc people. Golden is also the chosen home of the Metis Nation Columbia River Society.

I, Kathy Anderson, current lead steward at Golden District Hospital, current region 9 director and a medical laboratory technologist, am writing this to express interest in representing region 9 at the board level for a second term. I have proudly represented region 9 in two face to face meetings with previous Health Minister Dix to ensure he is acutely aware of the critical shortages and workload issues in the Kootneys.

There have been many issues brought to the board level and I am grateful to say the current board works very well together and has meaningful and thoughful engaging conversations of issues affecting our members across the province.

There have been challenges and a huge learning curve, but after one term on the board I feel my feet stabilizing under me!

I would be honoured to be re-elected by the members of region 9 for another term and to speak for the members and issues of our unique region!

Sincerely yours in solidarity
Kathy Anderson

All Candidates Meetings

The all candidates meeting will be held online on Thursday, December 5 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm Mountain Time. 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 Pacific on December 9, 2024 to 8:00 pm Pacific 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 9 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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