News & Updates

Ottawa (26 May 2020) — After 3 months of daily news about COVID-19, we are seeing the major impact the pandemic is having, not only on people's lives and work, but also on how they see the world moving forward. People clearly want change and specifically how we treat our elderly in Canada. This is one of the findings from...

A serious occupational health and safety issue related to PPE in hospital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) departments has been uncovered regarding the safety of certain masks and respirators in an MRI setting. HSA has called on health authorities and the Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Committee to provide details on the steps underway to identify and remove any masks or...

BC FED OHS Centre free webinars for OHS activist during COVID-19 The BCFED OH&S Centre has scheduled free COVID-19 related online webinars as follows: OH&S Committee role during COVID-19 Tuesday May 26, 2020 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Participants will understand the role and responsibility joint occupational health and safety committees have during this unprecedented pandemic; including how to identify potential...

( Coast Salish Territory, Vancouver BC) - As BC’s economy slowly reopens, the province’s labour movement is encouraging British Columbians to think beyond just rebuilding the economy we had before the COVID-19 outbreak. “We have an unprecedented opportunity not just to restart the economy we had, but the economy we want,” said BCFED president Laird Cronk as the federation released...

Late last week, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Canada, provincial and territorial Premiers, and leaders of the other federal parties, detailing the crisis brewing in shelters across Canada and urging the federal government to take swift action. Multiple issues make shelters a ticking time bomb In his letter...

Health Sciences Association, the union representing 20,000 specialized health care and social services workers in British Columbia, welcomes today’s announcement by BC Finance Minister Carole James of a $4 an hour pandemic pay premium for frontline health care and social service workers working in the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. “HSA has been at the forefront of the fight for recognition for...

The HSPBA Pandemic Response Fund negotiated by HSA on behalf of BC’s health science professionals will be reviewed following the announcement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of $4bn in federal funding to recognize and support the work of essential workers. After reaching the $5mn Pandemic Response Fund agreement with the BC Ministry of Health last month, HSA continued to work...

Today's public briefing by Premier John Horgan and Health Minister Adrian Dix was short on details about how shortages and chronic challenges in recruitment and retention of health science professionals will be addressed in the plan. HSA has been advocating for several weeks that the plan must include all members of the healthcare team, including specialized health science professionals. See...

The recording of the telephone town hall and question and answer session is now available here.

With supply of N95 masks running low, Ministry of Health directs shift to alternative PPE guidelinesThe Ministry of Health (MOH) has advised the union that over the coming days, current supplies of N95 masks will likely be depleted to the point where non-traditional and reprocessed N95s may begin to enter the supply stream. There are reports from members that this...