The Report

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 When laboratory technologist John Bhullar was first asked to consider taking over the work of a retired steward, he thought he wasn't up for the job. "I preferred to be in the background," he said. Besides, with over 1000 members from a wide range of professions, stewards at Vancouver's Children's Hospital had a huge responsibility...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 BY VAL AVERY, PRESIDENT, HSA For most members, their first contact with our union is through a steward. These are the members who spend countless hours helping their colleagues at the worksite. HSA staff are unmatched in their expertise and experience, but they rely on our network of stewards to solve daily problems at hundreds...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 Children with disabilities face a lot of challenges, but with support in the early years, many can overcome barriers and achieve their full potential. Now imagine the heartbreak of the parents who learn that funding shortfalls will keep their kids from getting that help – until it's too late. That's the reality for many families...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 BY DAVID DURNING, HSA OHS OFFICER A recent survey of emergency department staff at Abbotsford Regional Hospital indicated that more than half of those who had recently experienced violence on the job didn't report those events. This finding supports other similar surveys and anecdotal evidence from HSA members indicating that underreporting of violence and aggression...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN "Just what is our union doing for us?" This was the question that set HSA member Doris Peters down a path that led, surprisingly quickly, to becoming a chief steward in June of last year. After four years as a child and youth mental health clinician at Vancouver Children's Hospital, working with...

HSA'S Heather Maschek, Heidi Coates, Stasia Hasumi and Anne Davis were among the many community social service workers who met in Ottawa. HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 Financial pressures, overflowing casework, increasing mental health concerns are just a few of the issues addressed at an October conference for community service workers hosted in Ottawa by the National Union of Public...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 On October 19th, Canadians soundly rejected the Harper Conservatives' refusal to provide federal leadership on health care. Instead, we elected a majority Liberal government which made important promises during the election campaign to improve Canada's public health care system. During the campaign, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau promised $3 billion over the next four years to...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 BY DENNIS BLATCHFORD, HSA PENSIONS AND BENEFITS ADVOCATE I am planning to retire sometime next year and am wondering if the formation of the new benefit plan will have any bearing on my retirement benefits? Do you mean retirement benefits or severance benefits? I ask because retirement benefits – health and welfare – are provided...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2015 "It got so bad I started to think about moving. I thought, If this is the way they were behaving towards me now, what were they going to be like if they were my union and I depended on them to represent me?" Jenny Orriss is calm and articulate when she tells the story, but...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2015 1. WE NEED A GOVERNMENT THAT CARES ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH CARE A $36 BILLION CUT TO HEALTH CARE In 2014, the Health Accord, an agreement between the federal government and the provinces that ensures equal access, proper funding, and high standards for health care in Canada, expired. The provinces are asking for a new Accord...