Who We Are

The Board of Directors has been actively investing in equity and inclusion. To date there are three staff members working in the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion division of HSA. 

Vision

HSA envisions workplaces that value and care for diversity through building equitable pathways where workers who have been historically and ongoingly marginalized feel included and are able to thrive.

HSA jEDI GOALS 

  • Achieve transformative changes in attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge within HSA membership and HSA employees to prevent and help end the root causes of systemic inequities and injustice.
  • Build JEDI strategies and related action plans from evidence-informed practices aimed to make worksites and the Union more just, equitable and inclusive for diversity.
  • Centre and uplift voices of people who experience marginalization through committees, caucuses and other forms of member engagement.
  • Strengthen equity, decolonization, and solidarity at HSA through reviewing, revising, and consulting on policy, practices, and processes that govern the union’s work.
  • Innovate and lead in JEDI related bargaining language to embed equity into collective agreements.

HSA JEDI Commitments

Truth, reconciliation, and decolonization: HSA recognizes that much of what is colonially referred to as British Columbia is on land that was never surrendered in any way and there is a collective responsibility to take up the work outlined in the 94 Calls to Action, In Plain Sight, and Reclaiming Power and Place. HSA is invested in unlearning colonial dominance that impact Indigenous Peoples.

Anti-oppression and Intersectionality: Through critical analysis and ongoing reflection HSA will interrogate and change systemic inequities in policies, practices and systems that discriminate based on the protected categories within the BC Human Rights Code, including socioeconomic status. Additionally, we understand that individuals and groups with combinations of multiple marginalized identities face compounded potential for systemic discrimination.

Work to date

Goal

Priorities and Projects
Achieve transformative changes in attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge within HSA membership and HSA employees to prevent and help end the root causes of systemic inequities and injustice.
  • Education for HSA staff on truth and reconciliation, decolonization, anti-racism, anti-oppression, ableism and trans inclusion in the workplace.
  • Research into Restorative Justice practices as alternate to conflict resolutions practices and investigations.
  • Revisions to anti-harassment statement, replacement of language to The Guiding Principles of Solidarity.
Build JEDI strategies and related action plans from evidence-informed practices aimed to make worksites and the Union more just, equitable and inclusive for diversity.
  • Anti-Racism Recruitment and Hiring Action Plan
  • Research Report: Discrimination in the Workplace
  • Gathering input from members via site visits to learn from the ground the equity issues
Centre and uplift voices of people who experience marginalization through committees, caucuses and other forms of member engagement.

Formation and support of:

  • Indigenous Circle & Indigenous Gatherings
  • Racial Justice Committee & BIPOC Caucus
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ Caucus
  • People with Disabilities Caucus
  • Gender Diverse Caucus
  • Site visits with equity denied members
  • Planning Equity Summit for 2024
  • Indigenous Pathways Program
Strengthen equity, decolonization, and solidarity at HSA through reviewing, revising, and consulting on policy, practices, and processes that govern the union’s work.
  • Revisions to Anti-Harassment Policy
  • Revisions to Ombudsperson Policy
  • Indigenous Circle Guiding Principles
  • Building a member’s Indigenous Elder’s Program.
  • JEDI revisions / additions to Basic Steward Training
Innovate and lead in JEDI related bargaining language to embed equity into collective agreements.

HSPBA

  • Gender Diversity and Inclusion MOA
  • Cultural Days of Significance Pilot MOA