News & Updates

HSA Advanced Steward Training Registration Information: Stewards may register by logging into My Events Registration. Workshops will be listed under Steward Education events. Location: HSA Office, 180 East Columbia Street, New Westminster CHIEF STEWARD AND ASSISTANT CHIEF STEWARD ADVANCED STEWARD TRAINING - OCTOBER 21, 2019 This 1 day specialized training is for Chief Stewards and Assistant Chief Stewards. As leaders...

HSA is calling on the province to expand presumptive coverage to community social service and health care workers. When a worker receives a formal diagnosis for a mental health disorder (such as PTSD) as a result of a work-related traumatic event or events, the presumptive clause is intended to make it easier to advance a Workers Compensation claim. We know...

Apply now for HSA professional development funding for health science professionals Last fall, HSA announced a $3 million Professional Development Fund funded by the provincial government aimed at supporting health science professionals to undertake professional development to increase specialization, improve health care service to rural and remote areas of BC, and meet ongoing requirements for professional development. The fund focuses...

Last week the BC NDP government announced a $95 thousand grant for the United Way to research the full impact of period poverty on people and families. According to the government press release, the initial project will distribute free products through 12 community agencies around the province and collect critical information to ensure future policies are meeting the needs of...

By Dennis Blatchford HSA’s pensions and benefits advocate answers common questions from HSA members. Have there been any developments regarding my benefit plan, the Joint Health Sciences Benefit Trust (JHSBT)? Yes! I expect the JHSBT will soon launch a website giving members information and updates on their benefit plan going forward. The new website will be the main communication source...

By Tim Lim Universal health care is an issue of national pride, shared among Canadians. Similarly, Canadians take pride in the beautiful nature encompassed in the country. Yet with recent climate change pressures – from hurricanes and floods to ravaging forest fires – the effects of climate change are threatening our ecosystems and becoming more intertwined with our daily health...

BY DANIELLE DIONNE, ASHLEY GRANT, TANYA MILLER, AND MRIDULA MORGANHSA MEMBERS In May 2019, 31 social program staff at CMHA BC joined HSA. CMHA employees share why they came together and unionized, and what helped them persevere through a sometimes challenging unionization drive. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) prides itself on being one of Canada’s oldest continuing charities in...

By Jennifer Edgar, HSA member I write to share what happened when union members at my worksite took action, with support from HSA, to address workload issues in our laboratory. Through working together to collect data, we success­fully challenged the hospital’s method for calculating what constitutes “reasonable work­load,” and we persuaded man­agement to deliver concrete changes that have improved the...

HSA BASIC STEWARD/OH&S TRAINING DATES - FALL 2019 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...

Are you a young HSA member (35 and under) interested in increased young worker participation in the union? The union’s board of directors is seeking members aged 35 and younger to get involved in a five-member Young Workers’ Advisory Group. The Advisory Group’s purpose is to work to understand how HSA is relevant to young workers and how to encourage...