Issues, Campaigns and Government Relations
Codevelopment Canada, a BC-based non-governmental organization working for social change in the Americas, is inviting interested HSA members to travel to Nicaragua and Honduras to meet with and celebrate the accomplishment of women's groups supporting maquila workers. The ten-day visit is scheduled for February 28 to March 9. Members are responsible for their own costs, estimated as $3500 to $4000...
The BC Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation is coordinating a consultation to determine how to remove barriers and increase accessibility for people with disabilities in British Columbia. The process includes a series of in-person community consultation sessions around the province scheduled from January 20 to the end of February. Dates, locations and times are listed here. Members can...
83% of HSA RPNs reject raid campaign to date Registered Psychiatric Nurses at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Abbotsford Regional Hospital have voted to stick with HSA despite an aggressive and well-funded raid campaign by the BC Nurses' Union and the Union of Psychiatric Nurses. The results in Surrey and Abbotsford are consistent with dozens of other votes held at worksites...
Take Action Against Domestic Violence Over a recent 5 year period, an estimated 183,000 British Columbians were victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence impacts victims and their families and has a serious effect on those who witness it. Health care costs related to domestic violence in Canada are estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Social and emotional costs...
Plaque at l'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal On December 6, 1989, Marc Lépine, armed with a rifle and a hunting knife, entered a classroom at l'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, separated male from female students, claimed he was "fighting feminism", and shot all nine women in the room, killing six. He then moved through other areas of the university specifically targeting women...
A MESSAGE FROM JEANNE MEYERS, HSA LABOUR RELATIONS AND LEGAL SERVICES HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2013 As this issue of The Report goes to press, the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association has reached a tentative agreement for a renewed contract running from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2019. The proposed five-year agreement has a number of elements that I and...
A MESSAGE FROM HSA PRESIDENT VAL AVERY THE REPORT, DECEMBER 2013 HSA and other unions have been hunkered down in ceaseless and difficult negotiations for almost five years. The effort has expended enormous resources – resources that we need to focus on helping members deal with their daily workplace challenges. So when mediators approached HSA and other unions about early...
Registered psychiatric nurses represented by HSA have a lot of questions about pressure tactics currently employed by the BC Nurses Union and the Union of Psychiatric Nurses. Both BCNU and UPN have recently pressured members already represented by HSA, and we've been getting questions about whether it's possible to cancel these memberships. The deadline is now Depending on exactly when...
HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2013 In late November, the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association reached a tentative agreement for the 17,000 health science professionals delivering modern health care in BC's hospitals and communities. It is a five-year agreement that expires March 31, 2019. The agreement was reached in advance of the expiry of the current agreement, set to run out on...
Do I have to get the flu shot?The policy upheld by the arbitrator states that if you do not get a flu shot, you can still work, but must wear a mask at all times during the declared flu season. When does flu season start?Flu season is declared by the Provincial Health Officer. It is typically declared between late-November and...