News & Updates

HSA welcomes the provincial government’s new four-part surgical strategy announced today aimed at reducing wait times for surgery around the province.The initial phase of the strategy includes funding for an additional 4,000 hip and knee replacements in the coming year – an increase of 34 per cent – with long-term funding to continue increasing the number of surgeries in future...

Periods are a fact of life and menstruation products are a necessity. Nobody should have to pick between feeding their family and being able to afford basic hygiene products. Yet far too many people – especially those living in poverty – simply can’t afford them. “We know it is a struggle for food banks and community groups to collect menstruation...

On Feb. 9, 2018, HSA hosted an all-day workshop entitled, "Men as Allies." The workshop, organized by HSA's Education Committee, was an opportunity for men in the union to come together and discuss the role they can play in supporting gender equity work. The workshop created space to explore how men have benefited from patriarchy and sexism, and sought to...

During the next several weeks, HSA members in Region 10 will have an opportunity to elect their representative on HSA's Board of Directors. Nominations for the position closed with two members declaring their candidacy: • Mandi Ayers, a medical laboratory technologist at Bulkley Valley District Hospital in Smithers. • Brent Erskine, a PACS Systems Administrator working out of the Brunswick...

Joe Sebastian will return to represent HSA members in Region 4 on the HSA Board of Directors. Sebastian was acclaimed after the deadline passed with no further nominations. He has worked as a Medical Radiation Technologist for over 18 years and has acted as a general steward at Vancouver General Hospital. He was first elected to the union’s Board of...

During the next several weeks, HSA members in Region 6 will have an opportunity to elect their representative on HSA's Board of Directors. Nominations for the position closed with two members declaring their candidacy: • Theo de Gagne, a psychologist at St. Paul’s Hospital. • Nancy Hay, a social worker at St. Paul’s and Lions Gate Hospitals. In the coming...

Derrick Hoyt will return to represent HSA members in Region 2 on the HSA Board of Directors. Hoyt was acclaimed after the deadline passed with no further nominations. A pathologist assistant, Hoyt has served on the Board of Directors since November 2013. He has been active in HSA for more than 25 years and is currently a member of the...

Health Sciences Association of BC says today’s provincial budget makes critical social investments that will strengthen public services and make life more affordable for all British Columbians. HSA represents 18,000 highly trained specialists working in diagnostic MRI, sonography and lab testing, physiotherapy, social work, radiation therapy, pharmacy, early childhood development and many other health science and social service professions. “HSA...

Current legislation allows failing companies to take money allocated to workers' pensions and redistribute it to CEOs, banks, and investors. Don Davies, MP for Vancouver Kingsway and MP Scott Duvall, NDP Critic for Pensions, are hosting a community town hall in Vancouver to discuss how to protect workers' pensions from corporate theft. We hope you can attend. When: Thurs. Feb...

The HSA's national union, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), has launched a 6o-second commercial now airing throughout the 2018 Winter Olympics on CBC. The video's message is timely, highlighting the central role unions have played in obtaining meaningful gains for all workers, whether unionized or not. From paid vacations to the banning of asbestos, unions have...