News & Updates

The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) and the Community Social Services Employers’ Association (CSSEA) are pleased to announce that the Community Living Services, General Services and Indigenous Services collective agreements are now available. You can find the agreements on the Fair Deal website at www.cssfairdeal.ca and on the CSSEA website at www.cssea.bc.ca. You can also download your agreement from...

HSA Basic Steward/OH&S Training Dates 2020 Registration Information: Stewards may register by logging into My Events Registration. Workshops are listed under Steward Education events. Basic Steward Training (3 days) Stewards play a vital role in the union. Particularly important is the steward's role in contract interpretation, organizing and the grievance procedure. In recognition of the need for educating new stewards...

BC is failing workers experiencing domestic and sexual violence. Paid, job-protected leave from work is critical for employees experiencing violence who may need to relocate or seek community services, such as medical attention, legal services, or counselling. For workers experiencing trauma, it can be difficult to focus on work and perform job duties safely. We also know that the workplace...

Domestic violence and workplace safety: Why policy change is neededBy Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications When we talk about health and safety in the workplace, domestic violence issues rarely enter the discussion. Yet for someone who has been awake most of the night from duress, their ability to manage workplace risks and hazards can become a serious issue. “For those people...

A message from HSA President Val Avery I would like to invite HSA members to join me in supporting the New West Hospice Society by participating in the River Walk for Hospice, happening Saturday, Oct. 5. The River Walk for Hospice is an opportunity to gather in community, raise money for a good cause, and honour the memory of loved...

The Health Sciences Association (HSA) is proud to welcome 11 new members from the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) BC division, who voted 100 per cent in favour of joining HSA. This is the fourth successful union vote to take place in relation to CMHA BC division worksites, where workers have been fully united voting 100 percent in favour of...

By Anne Leclerc HSA member When a resident dies in long-term care (LTC), this can take a toll on staff who have developed close emotional bonds with them. Our kno wledge-to-action (KTA) research project “Keeping the Light Shining” identified challenges that staff experience when caring for LTC re sidents throughout the dying process and strategies to help alleviate staff stress...

President's Report: This federal election, let's vote for a universal Pharmacare program By HSA President Val Avery It’s official. The federal election has been called and Canadians will head to the polls on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 to elect a new government. In the coming weeks we can expect to see and hear a lot from the various political parties...

The effects of for-profit health insurance on public health care delivery: Examining the researchBy Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications Given Canada’s close proximity to the US, Canadians often hear horror stories from Americans about healthcare, whose bodies and bank accounts are at the mercy of a very broken system. We hear anecdotes of multi-thousand dollar medical bills, personal bankruptcy, preventable deaths...

According to research conducted by the Canadian Malnutrition Taskforce, 25 to 50 per cent of patients admitted to a Canadian hospital are malnourished. “That’s a significant portion of people who we serve in our hospitals,” said Jaki Thornhill, HSA member, dietitian and professional practice leader at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. While there is some variability in this statistic based...