Politic Action Fund support for HSA members

Political Action Fund support for members to work on issue-based campaigns and attend political action training

With a provincial election coming up, there are several grassroots, issue-based campaigns that members may want to work on, as well as opportunities to attend training to work on these campaigns or to work on candidate/party election campaigns.
 
Members may apply for up to 30 days of union-paid leave to work on issue-based campaigns approved by HSA.  Campaigns approved to date are:
 
1) The BC Health Coalition’s campaign to make support for public health care a vote-determining issue; and
 
2) The BC Federation of Labour’s “Together for BC – Better can happen here” campaign.
 
Have a different issue-based campaign you’d like to work on?  Contact Carol Riviere at the HSA office to find out if it meets HSA’s criteria for support.
 
Members may also apply for union-paid leave and expenses to attend approved political action training.  This includes training to work on candidate/party election campaigns which is:

1. non-partisan; or

2. offered by labour organizations with which HSA is affiliated; or

3. offered by political parties that support all of HSA’s 5 criteria:

   • a positive role for the public sector;

   • the principles of the Canada Health Act

   • free collective bargaining for public sector employees;

   • progressive occupational health and safety legislation and 

   • progressive human rights.

Applications

Members applying for support to work on an issue-based campaign or to attend political action training should complete the “Political Action Fund Application: Grassroots political action or training, & election campaign training” form.  A form-fillable version is also available. Send completed applications by e-mail, fax or regular mail to Carol Riviere at the HSA office. 
 
Members are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, but no later than Wednesday January 18, 2017 for the initial round of funding. Applications received after this date will be considered, if funding is still available.  
 
Members should discuss booking time off with their supervisors, but should not finalize this until their application to HSA has been approved.
 
For further information, please contact Carol Riviere at the HSA office.