HSA welcomes to the union 31 new members from CMHA BC

The Health Sciences Association is proud to welcome 31 new health science professionals working at the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC division (CMHA BC), to HSA. Workers were fully united, voting 100 hundred percent in favour of joining HSA.

“It is always an incredible moment when we welcome new members into the labour movement,” said HSA President Val Avery. “Through joining HSA, the health science professionals at CMHA BC have secured a better livelihood for themselves and future workers. As union members, we are stronger together.” 

CMHA BC health science professional employees are uniting with over 19,000 HSA members. They’re a part of a movement of over 500,000 workers in BC from affiliated labour unions of the BC Federation of Labour and 3.3 million workers across Canada as members of the Canadian Labour Congress.  

Ashley Grant, one of the CMHA BC employees who worked on the organizing drive, was able to make new connections with her colleagues through the organizing effort. “I never felt such a sense of connectedness to the people in my workplace before. Talking about our collective experience and working towards a goal that we initiated turned out to be a great bonding opportunity.” 

The new health science professional members from CMHA BC work as social program officers for programs aimed at improving and promoting mental health, including the Bounce Back program, Confident Parents Thriving Kids program, Healthy Minds Healthy Campuses, Living Life to the Full program, and Workplace Mental Health programs.

“I feel honored to work alongside my colleagues to bring fairness, transparency, and better working conditions to my workplace. Being part of HSA will ensure that we can continue to provide excellent service to families across BC,” said Mridula Ivy Morgan, a parent coach with the Confident Parent Thriving Kids Program.

The vote took place in May of 2018 and a lengthy legal process took place due to employer objections to the union certification. The legal process included 5 days of hearings and over 1000 pages of submissions. After a decisive ruling from the Labor Relations Board, the votes were counted on Friday, April 12 and the workers were finally issued their union certification on Monday, April 15. The legal decision marks a major legal victory for CMHA workers.

“This decision has been a long time coming. The dedication and patience of our newest members at CMHA BC has been absolutely inspiring. I know our union is made stronger by the skills and expertise they bring to HSA,” said Avery.