News & Updates

Safety Week this year is from May 4 to 10. HSA chapters are encouraged to organize or participate in Safety Week activities planned for your sites. These events are usually organized by the facility Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees and provide a great opportunity to profile the role of your Committee in your workplace. There are many resources available...

This conference is open to any HSA member representing the union on a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee. Wage loss, travel and hotel costs will be covered according to HSA policies. On-line registration is open until midnight, Sunday, May 25 The proposed agenda is as follows: DAY 1: Monday, June 16th 8:30 a.m. Registration, Coffee and Pastries9:00 a.m. Conference...

HSA will be at the bargaining table May 15 to represent the interests of registered psychiatric nurses as the Nurses Bargaining Association kicks off contract talks. HSA will be represented at the table by Larry Bryan, an RPN at Haro Park Centre and a member of the Provincial Occupational Health, Safety and Violence Prevention Committee, and a member of the...

Delegates to HSA’s 43nd annual convention this past weekend elected Val Avery as president, and debated resolutions that continue building on the union’s founding. In her report to delegates, Avery ,a physiotherapist at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, said HSA members have an opportunity to regroup, build on the union’s capacity, and connect with members in their worksites. Avery first...

Work needed to complete files to include in expedited hearing process Employers who failed to follow a fair and negotiated process for a transition to the 37.5 hour work week will have to start over, thanks to a decision by arbitrators Vince Ready and Corinn Bell.A feature of the 2012 – 2014 negotiated collective agreements covering health care workers, including...

July 8 - 12, 2014U niversity of Victoria, Victoria, BC Together Women Win The Summer Institute for Union Women (SIUW) is a 4-day residential school designed to empower women as leaders in the labour movement through participatory education and community-building. See the BC Federation of Labour's website on the SIUW here for details of the program: http://siuw-2014.com/ The Western Regional...

Across Canada, April 28 has been designated the Day of Mourning, a time when workers, families, employers and others come together to remember those who have lost their lives to work-related incidents or occupational diseases. Please refer to this calendar for a complete list of Day of Mourning events around the province. The B.C. Federation of Labour, the New Westminster...

HSA president Val Avery listens to Ingrid Sochting, an HSA member and chief psychologist for Richmond mental health outpatient services. HSA marked yesterday's expiry of the Canadian Health Accord with a public forum on mental health services. "For the past three years, Prime Minister Harper has refused to meet with the provinces to discuss the renewal of the health accord...

HSA, on behalf of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), recently met with employers March 10 to 12 to negotiate a resolution to the approximately 1500 grievances related to the 2013 transition to a 37.5 hour work week. Aided by veteran arbitrators Vince Ready and Corrine Bell, some progress was achieved. A ruling is expected shortly to address management's...

BC HEALTH COALITION The current Health Accord expires March 31st, 2014 and the federal government is refusing to renegotiate it. Expiration of the accord will result in a $36 billion dollar cut to public health care, and an additional $16.5 billion dollar cut to health care equalization payments. On March 31, people across the country will be holding rallies to...