Issues, Campaigns and Government Relations

HSA’s Board of Directors has voted unanimously to waive the union’s policy on collecting union dues on all employment income to exclude employment income earned under the Temporary Pandemic Pay announced May 19. All HSA members working under the HSPBA, CBA, and NBA collective agreements will receive pandemic pay at a rate of $4 an hour on all straight hours...

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...

TO: HSA members working in Long Term Care In an effort to slow the transmission of COVID-19 in BC’s hard-hit Long Term Care facilities, BC’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, issued two province-wide orders aimed at restricting movement of health care staff between Long Term Care facilities. The orders went into effect yesterday, Thursday March 26, 2020 The first...

By Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications Angie Combs, aboriginal patient liaison worker at Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton, BC, recalls that staff at the hospital would occasionally ask her to teach them some words and phrases in Gitxsanimaax, the language spoken by the Gitxsan First Nation. The hospital is on Gitxsan territory, which spans 33,000 square kilometers across northwest BC. “I...

For Immediate Release Health Sciences Association of BC says today’s provincial budget makes important investments in health care and affordability measures, but professional shortages in the health care system require action. HSA represents more than 18,000 highly trained professionals working in medical imaging and lab testing, physiotherapy, social work, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, early childhood development, and many other health science...

By Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications 2019 marks the 100th year anniversary off the Winnipeg General Strike, when 35,000 unionized and non-unionized workers in Winnipeg walked off the job in support of striking building and metal workers. Beginning May 15, 1919, and lasting over six weeks, the Winnipeg General Strike is a landmark historical event recognized for its expressions of working...

By Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications Ingrid Mendez and her partner didn’t come here from Guatemala because they thought Canada was a beautiful country. “I’m not saying it’s not,” she explained. “No, we’re here because we were forced to leave. We came here because w e needed to save our lives and those of our families.” Now Mendez works actively to...

Successful Charter challenge to provisions banning extra-billing, private insurance would create two-tier system By HSA President Val Avery Public health care is one of Canada’s greatest achievements. But our most-cherished social program is under threat. A group of plaintiffs led by Dr. Brian Day, CEO of the for-profit Cambie Surgeries Corporation, is challenging the constitutionality of key provisions of B.C.’s...