The Report

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 Val Avery, President, HSA We often find our greatest strength when confronted by adversity. As a physiotherapist, I have seen people discover incredible resources inside themselves, and use them to overcome great odds. And I think every one of us working with patients and clients have seen this time and again. People are tough and...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN It's not my business. That's what Marjan Szlivka thought when she first heard that registered psychiatric nurses within HSA were being raided by BCNU. In her work as a physiotherapist at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody, Szlivka didn't work with RPNs, and their situation wasn't on her radar. But once she...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 In April 2015, at a workshop prior to HSA's last convention, Trina Nguyen heard something that startled her. "It was a workshop on HSA's work to raise awareness around domestic violence," says Nguyen," and someone told a story about a young woman who was afraid she might have been sexually assaulted after having too much...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 It's often said that stewards are the backbone of our union, and like any backbone, it works best with adequate support. As part of the 2020 Strategic Plan, and following dicussions at recent conventions, HSA stewards have been meeting to talk about the work they do, the challenges they face, and the resources they need...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 CHANGES TO BC LAW WILL REQUIRE MORE EMPLOYEES TO SUBMIT MANDATORY FINGERPRINTS The Criminal Records Review Act provides for mandatory fingerprinting for those employed by health authorities and who work with children or vulnerable adults. The program requires the employee to submit fingerprints to confirm identity if there is an applicant who has a match...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 A CANCER CLUSTER IS FOUND HSA members Katrina Hammer and Anne MacFarlane, and HEU member Patricia Schmidt, all worked in the laboratory at Mission Memorial Hospital. All three contracted breast cancer, and an investigation into the cancer identified there was a cancer cluster in the laboratory – where the incidence of breast cancer was eight...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 BY DAVID DURNING, OHS OFFICER The Canadian Mental Health Association's annual Bottom Line Conference brings together workers, employers and researchers to find ways of improving mental health in Canadian workplaces. This year, HSA sponsored two members to attend the conference held recently in Vancouver. Charlotte Nanalal, a radiation therapist at the Fraser Valley Cancer Centre...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2016 Report on B.C. Federation of Labour Lobby in Victoria March 7 and 8, 2016 BY ANNE DAVIS, DIRECTOR, REGION 1 The BC Federation of Labour's annual government lobby day was scheduled for International Women's Day this year. So it was decided that it should be carried out by the Women's Rights Committee. Participants focused on...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 When laboratory technologist John Bhullar was first asked to consider taking over the work of a retired steward, he thought he wasn't up for the job. "I preferred to be in the background," he said. Besides, with over 1000 members from a wide range of professions, stewards at Vancouver's Children's Hospital had a huge responsibility...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2015 BY VAL AVERY, PRESIDENT, HSA For most members, their first contact with our union is through a steward. These are the members who spend countless hours helping their colleagues at the worksite. HSA staff are unmatched in their expertise and experience, but they rely on our network of stewards to solve daily problems at hundreds...