News & Updates

HSA President Val Avery presented today to the provincial Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, focusing on the need to address the shortage of critical health science professionals. The committee is holding virtual hearings to gather input on the development of the next BC Budget. If our public health care system is to be successful in fighting COVID-19...

The Canadian Labour Congress is hosting a free webinar this Wednesday, June 10 at 11am PST on the role of unions in combating anti-Black racism. The CLC's Larry Rousseau and Marie Clark-Walker will be joined by Sandy Hudson, a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement in Toronto. This is an opportunity for union members across the country to come...

Amid the horrific scenes coming out of the United States of continued police brutality against protesters in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, Canada’s unions are expressing solidarity with Black communities everywhere, including in our own backyard. The fight against anti-Black racism and police brutality is based in the long, despicable history of slavery, oppression and colonization of...

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...