News & Updates

HSA is pleased to offer this one-day virtual workshop specifically designed for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) stewards and Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) representatives working to support members with their occupational health and safety concerns. DATE: November 29, 2022 TIME: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm LOCATION: Virtual – WebEx details to follow Level Two OH&S Steward Training This...

The BC government’s Ministry of Health has introduced a new program that will help MRI technologist students graduate earlier and enter the workforce sooner, an initiative that will help tackle serious shortages in one of the key health science professions. The initiative takes the form of a bursary program for the British Columbia Institute of Technology MRI Advanced Certificate program...

Date: October 13, 2022 Time: 9 am to 4:30 pm Location: Virtual, via Webex Each year in Canada, one in five people will experience a mental health problem or illness. Over a lifetime that number increases to one in three. The cost of mental health problems or illness costs our economy more than 51 billion dollars. T he objective of...

HSPBA Bargaining Update: Frequently-Asked Questions on Bargaining and Job Action The HSPBA bargaining committee is engaged in focused discussions with the employer through most of June. The discussions are being led by subgroups of the committee negotiating matters related to managing union leave disputes and expedited arbitration procedures. Negotiations continue, and progress is being made, but more slowly than hoped...

Earlier this month, the first Bi-Annual HSA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Report was released. The report provided key definitions, goals, and principles that set out a foundation for shared understanding of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion issues and terms. It also described four priority areas of focus for the coming months, first of which was a demographic survey to members...

Community social services bargaining is on a scheduled break this week and will resume next week at the bargaining table. Before the break, your bargaining committee started to talk about monetary priorities with the employers’ representatives. We expect those discussions to continue when bargaining resumes. Your bargaining committee is bringing forward the priorities of members and is working hard to...

DATE: November 7, 2022 TIME: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm LOCATION: Virtual – WebEx details to follow People with disabilities represent the world’s largest minority and the third largest economic power behind China and the United States. Yet disabled people still experience barriers, prejudice, and bias on a daily basis. Our combination Disability Awareness/Disability Justice workshop challenges all to more...

After bargaining with Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC) these last couple days and for two weeks in May, we are very close to agreement on issues around mobility, overtime, and other non-monetary items. The bargaining committee has created the following working groups: Arbitrator/Mediator Lists MOA 6-9, and 26—Memoranda of Agreement relating to Superior Provisions and New Certification Membership Cards/Member...

HSA’s Registered Psychiatric Nurses and Registered Nurses are again eligible for partial reimbursement of fees paid to the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). The rate of reimbursement has been set at $215 per member. To claim for partial reimbursement of your fees, scan and send your receipt to @email , along with an EFT form. (Regardless if you...

With growing shortages of specialized health care professionals causing unsustainable workload issues and affecting the quality and timeliness of patient care in BC, Health Sciences Association welcomes a new provincial program to help MRI technologist students graduate earlier and enter the workforce sooner. The program will support training and recruitment of badly-needed MRI technologists but providing bursaries to students in...