News & Updates

Space is still available in HSAs 2-day, non-partisan election campaign school. This will be the last campaign school offered by HSA before the May 2013 provincial election, so members planning to work on this election are encouraged to apply. This workshop is designed for members with little or no experience in electoral politics, but who are interested in working on...

In 2005, David Bland -- a vocationalrehabilitation counsellor and HSA member from Richmond Mental Health -- wasmurdered at his workplace by a former client. His tragic death served asa sombre reminder that more needs to be done to prevent incidents of violencein the workplace and to protect health care and social services workers on thejob. Tohonour David, the HSA board...

This year, Regional Director elections will take place in Regions 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. All HSA members in these regions are encouraged to put their name forward for these important positions. Directors meet, on average, every six weeks and take an active leadership role in representing the union. They receive wage replacement for the time they spend in...

Bargaining for the Community Health Services and Support sector reconvenes on Monday, January 7 in Vancouver following a break over the holidays. Members in the sector have been in bargaining for a year. There will be no job action this week, but if an agreement cannot be reached by the end of next week, rotating strike action will recommence starting...

castanet.net Don. W. started drinking when he was 13 to numb the pain he felt from years of bullying and sexual, physical and mental abuse. The Keremeos man remained an alcoholic for much of his life, until at age 53, he realized he wanted to re-discover who he was. A big part of finding himself was getting counselling through the...

HSA members will soon be preparing for the 2013 HSA Convention, to be held April 18 - 20, 2013 at the Fairmont Hotel (Vancouver Hotel) in Vancouver. Annual convention is the union's annual meeting where chapter representatives from around the province determine the union's future direction. Policies, actions, constitutional amendments, and structural changes are all discussed and debated at convention...

Okanagan Sunday After scratching together funding for its men's counselling program, the South Okanagan Victim Assistance Society (SOVAS) could be forced to cut its hours due to financial challenges. For the past four years, Anne Reinders has been a counsellor for the program, which provides free counselling to men who have suffered emotional, physical or sexual abuse, either as children...

Dawson Creek Daily News The holiday season can be a crazy and hectic time. Its also a time when eating healthy and exercising can sometime fall to the wayside. However, there are things people can do to make sure that while they still enjoy the holiday season and all the treats that go with it, they can continue to make...

In the largest job actions undertaken since rotating strikes began two months ago, community social services workers at more than 20 agencies rallied support for a fair deal throughout the week of December 10. As job actions swept across the island ... from Campbell River to Parksville, Courtenay, Nanaimo, and Victoria ... striking workers from HSA, HEU, CUPE, and BCGEU...

Vancouver Sun KUDOS CORPORATE GIVING Van-Whole Produce raised $15,498 through sales of top sweet mandarin oranges this fall for the Canadian Cancer Society, BC & Yukon. Donations of $10,000 each from Dr. Miriam Yu, and Mr. and Mrs. Sing and Patricia Yeo to Tapestry Foundation for Health Care helped launch Scotiabank Feast of Fortune supporting Rapid Access Breast Clinic at...