News & Updates

The next HSA Annual Convention will take place April 15-17, 2010 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Vancouver. All HSA members are welcome to attend and speak at the convention. However, only delegates have the right to vote. For chapters with 49 or fewer members, the HSA chief steward is the sole delegate. If the chief steward is not attending...

This year, Regional Director elections will take place in Regions 2, 4, 6, 8, & 10. 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 will receive wage replacement for the time they spend...

On December 1, World AIDS Day, the BC government cut funding for HIV / AIDS outreach and service organizations. If you disagree with the BC governments decision to cripple AIDS Vancouver and other community-based health organizations by cutting their funding, join with HSA members at the protest organized by cancelthecuts.org: Date: Friday, December 18 Place: Vancouver Art Gallery, North Plaza...

Saturday, December 12th ... Queen CharlotteWhat: Petition signing and food bank driveTime: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Where: City Centre Stores, 121 3rd Avenue, Queen Charlotte"Find out how can help fight for amublance services in rural BC, and donate to the community food bank. Week of December 14th, 2009 Tuesday, December 15th ... TerraceWhat: Information rallyTime: Noon ... 5pmWhere: Sparks Street...

December 6, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the Montréal massacre of 14 young women at the École Polytechnique. HSA encourages members to take part in vigils and ceremonies to reaffirm our commitment to ending violence against women.If you know of an event in your community that is not listed below, please contact Yukie Kurahashi at @email. Check HSAs website...

Today, as local and national governments around the world reaffirm their commitment to continue the fight against HIV and AIDS, BCs government is doing the opposite. Effective December 1 ... World AIDS Day ... BCs Ministry of Health is imposing funding cuts to community-based HIV and AIDS service organizations, including AIDS Vancouver.The Health Sciences Association (HSA) is the union that...

Last Thursday, HSA reached an agreement with Fraser Health Authority for social workers working in acute care facilities, as well as Queens Park Care Centre, who are facing job loss as a result of government-ordered budget cuts. HSA invites Fraser Health Authority social workers affected by the cuts and their stewards to attend special meetings to discuss the agreement. These...

The Report: December 2009 vol.30 num.5 THE BC GOVERNMENT SAYS TIMES ARE TOUGH; savings must be found and wages must be frozen so that every penny can be used to protect health care services for patients. Sounds nice, but it doesnt make any sense. The fact is that this government is cutting deeply into the health services they promised to...

The Report: December 2009 vol.30 num.5 INFANT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SUPERVISOR MICHAELA WOOLDRIDGE'S JOB JUST GOT HARDER AFTER 20 YEARS working in infant development, first as a Consultant dealing directly with families and then as a Clinical Supervisor, Michaela Wooldridge knows her field very well. She knows what constitutes best practices, and how these have evolved, and keep evolving, over the...

The Report: December 2009 vol.30 num.5 SOCIAL WORKER DARWIN WREN BELIEVES IN GETTING INVOLVED by LAURA BUSHEIKIN FOR SUCH A BUSY MAN, HSA member Darwin Wren comes across as remarkably calm. Perhaps thats because hes very clear about what is at the heart of his many different activities. -Building community is what it is all about," he says. -I really...