Join us this Wednesday! Help us improve workers' legislation!

A once in a generation opportunity to improve workers' legislation. Join us! 

A message from HSA President Val Avery

Dear HSA members,

I am writing to you today with an important request in our ongoing work to improve the rights, protections and benefits available to BC workers.

We are at pivotal moment in time. The provincial government is about to revise B.C.’s labour laws after two decades of deteriorating rights under the former BC Liberal government.

We expect legislative reforms will be introduced in just a few short weeks. This gives us a small window of opportunity to relay our message to government – that all workers in BC deserve fair working conditions, with the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We need to defend the rights of every single worker. That’s why HSA and the BC Federation of Labour are calling for all workers to be covered by the Employment Standards Act, with no exceptions. Farm workers, high-tech workers, and unionized workers should be fully protected by the ESA.

The Employment Standards Act should include paid protected leave for all workers experiencing intimate, personal and relationship (formerly domestic) violence and survivors of sexual assault. Job-protected leave is crucial in order for workers to get the support they need. Six other provinces provide paid leave, and BC has no excuse to lag behind.

Being able to choose a union is a Charter-protected right. It's also proven to combat inequality and make working conditions better for all of us. We are calling on MLAs to restore a one-step certification process for workers seeking to join a union.

Another major issue facing BC workers is contract flipping. When one contractor is replaced by another, workers may be forced to reapply for the same jobs, and could lose their benefits and seniority. We are calling on the government to ensure workers have successorship rights when contract services are re-tendered.

In collaboration with the BC Federation of Labour, HSA has committed to coordinating a member Day of Action on Wednesday, April 17, when we will call on BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver and members of the BC Green Caucus to restore fairness to BC’s labour laws.

For the government to make important changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Code, we need the support of Green Party MLAs. That we why we are reaching out to them.

Will you join us by pledging to call or email BC Green MLAs on Wednesday, April 17? We must make our voices heard.

Are you in? 

Click here to sign up for this action. We will provide you with a script and an email template. 
The action will just take a few minutes.

The Day of Action is part of an intensive 8-day lobbying campaign to restore fairness to BC's 
labour laws. Our work is part of something bigger, and together, we can create change.

To learn more, visit workersdeservebetter.ca.

In solidarity,

Val Avery

HSA President