As we covered in our last article, the Municipal Pension Plan (MPP) is a defined benefit (DB) pension plan. That means it provides stable, predictable retirement income that isn’t affected by the ups and downs of the market. But what actually happens to the money you put into the plan? Let’s start with the numbers. At the end of fiscal...

The employer has responded to your bargaining committee’s proposal for a reasonable pay increase. Their initial offer is disappointing. Members have identified a pay increase, concrete action on shortages, workload, classification improvements, and cost of living as the most important issues in this round of negotiations. These were the leading concerns in more than 1300 bargaining proposals submitted by members...

Are You 35 or Under? Join HSA’s Young Workers Committee! HSA is now accepting applications for the 2026 Young Workers’ Committee. This group advises the union’s Board of Directors on issues important to HSA members who are 35 and under (which is the one-third of the union member population) to ensure young workers’ perspectives are heard and represented within our...

On Nov 3 and 4, your Nurses Bargaining Association (NBA) provincial bargaining committee met with employer representatives in Victoria. The committee presented 16 proposals all related to desperately needed health and safety improvements that will support nurse retention and the implementation of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. We've heard countless reports of rising violent incidents in health-care settings in recent years, with...

Scholarships and bursaries available for HSA members and their children: 10 scholarships for full-time studies in a certificate, diploma or degree program. 20 bursaries for full-time studies in a certificate, diploma or degree program. 4 bursaries for part-time studies in a certificate, diploma or degree program. Two bursaries for Indigenous students: 2 bursaries will be awarded to Indigenous students in...

On October 3, your CBA Bargaining Committee declared that negotiations had reached impasse with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) and the provincial government. Over the last month, we have met with members locally through chapter visits and virtual information meetings, providing education on job action and outlining the issues that led to your bargaining committee’s decision to declare...

On Wednesday, your bargaining committee has called off discussions for the remainder of the week because insufficient progress is being made on priority issues. The committee has tabled a wage proposal on behalf of HSPBA but the employer has indicated they would not be responding to it this week. Negotiations will resume Monday and the committee is hopeful that more...