Rescheduled HSA Annual Convention headlines a busy fall of union activity and education
Rescheduled HSA Annual Convention headlines a busy fall of union activity and education
As the summer of 2020 wraps up, the union is gearing up for a busy fall of union meetings and education opportunities for members
The union’s 49th annual convention, postponed from April 2-3 because of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been rescheduled to November 16-17. It will be conducted online.
Delegates who had been elected in their chapters and registered by the deadline for the April dates maintain their delegate status, and will receive information shortly about re-registering for the online convention. Chapters may also hold new elections to add additional delegates to fill their maximum delegate entitlement, or to replace delegates who are not longer able to participate in the convention. Further information on elections to fill delegate spaces will be provided to chapter stewards.
More than 100 resolutions were submitted for the 2020 convention to consider, and are available to review here.
The online convention is a first for HSA. Union staff and the Board of Directors are working to deliver a convention as smoothly as possible, and are committed to ensuring priority issues for HSA members are addressed at the convention, which sets the direction for the union’s work.
In addition to the convention, fall Regional meetings – which are an opportunity to hear from activists and other members from around the province about this issues affecting HSA members – get underway beginning September 18 in HSA Region 10, and wrap up October 1 with HSA Region 1. These meetings will also be held online. If you are interested in participating in the union meeting for your region, please get in touch with your local HSA Steward. Dates for the meetings are available here.
Finally, HSA staff have been working through the summer to develop online educational programming for members – covering everything from basic training for new stewards to addressing racism in our workplaces to a two-day conference for the union’s Occupational Health and Safety stewards.
See the complete list of meetings and education programs here. All events will be delivered online. For information about registration for any of the events or workshops, watch for information bulletins in your email, or check the union website at hsabc.org.
| DATE (S) | EVENT | DESCRIPTION |
| Sept 14 Sept 15 (offered twice) | Constituency Liaison Workshop | Training for HSA activists who liaise with local MLAs. |
| Sept. 24 | Labour Council | Training of HSA members who are delegates to local Labour Councils |
| Sept. 29 & Oct. 1 | Decolonization | Virtual workshop to help non-Indigenous HSA members to develop the skills, compassion, and abilities required to recognize and change colonial systems and practices in their personal and professional lives. |
| Oct. 5 | Anti Racism In Health Care & Social Services | This engaging and interactive workshop will activities, case scenarios, and discussions to explore race, racism, and the social determinants of health in the context of healthcare & social service settings. |
| Oct. 7 and Oct. 29 | COVID Safety Plans | COVID has changed workplaces across BC, which now must include a COVID safety plan. This workshop provides training on how to be familiar with the components of a COVID-19 Safety Plan and the resources available to help in the plan development. |
| Oct. 8 and Nov. 12 | Psychological Health & Safety - Mental Health and the CSA Standards | Provides participants with the tools to create strategies that will support workers with mental health issues. |
| October 13 & 14 | OHS Conference | A series of workshops and discussions that focus on what we have learned from COVID 19, as well as addressing on psychological health and safety. |
| October 19, 20 (tentative) and Dec. 7, 8 | Basic OHS Training | Core OHS training for OHS stewards and JOSH reps |
| Oct. 26, 27, 28 (tentative) and Dec. 1,2,3 | Basic Steward Training | Core training for general stewards |
| Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 | Young Workers Workshop and Forum | Open to members 35 and under, the workshop and forum run two separate days, with the workshop focused on internal union engagement, and the forum focused on community grassroots-driven social justice issues. |
| Nov. 4 | Migrant Justice | This workshop will explore the Sanctuary City Principles, and participants will learn about ways to support migrant workers. |
| November 18 & 19, 2020 | Supervisors in the Union | This workshop is designed to offer concrete support to HSA members who are workplace supervisors and to promote cooperation amongst all HSA members, no matter their position in the workplace. |