News & Updates

BC Health Minister Hon. Adrian Dix joined HSA President Val Avery and HSA members on a special telephone town hall meeting on June 25, where HSA provided updates on the work being done on behalf of HSA members throughout the current pandemic. If you missed it, you can listen to the recording here.

HSA is now accepting applications for the 2020 Core Member Engagement Team. Applications are due on Friday, July 17 at 11:59 PM PST. Click here to learn more about the program and apply. Across Canada, public health care is being defunded and privatized while workers’ rights continue to face attacks from public and private sector employers. Now more than ever...

HSA members are invited to join a live and interactive telephone town hall event tomorrow evening – Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 pm (PST). This is an opportunity for the union to update members on important information regarding COVID-19 policies and practices that affect your work, to report on the union’s plans for the coming months, and for members to...

On National Indigenous Peoples Day, we’re asking you to share how you’re working to decolonize your workplace and ensure it is safe and welcoming to Indigenous peoples. Let us know in an email to: @email We remember that our union works and has members in unceded territories across the province. Our full territorial acknowledgement is here: https://bit.ly/2YePFFU And finally, if...

Val Avery, President of the Health Sciences Association of BC, strongly condemns the racist actions of health care workers reported by Health Minister Adrian Dix this morning. “I am appalled by the emerging allegations of racist behaviors by health care workers – the very people British Columbians turn to and trust in times of health crisis,” Avery said. "There is...

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...

Employers and unions have reached an agreement on how to address vacation scheduling for the remainder of 2020 by members covered by the Community Social Services collective agreement in light of the impact of COVID-19 on operations. The agreement applies to members in the Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA), which includes HSA members. Under the agreement reached last week...

(Coast Salish Territory, Vancouver BC) British Columbians support stronger workplace health and safety protection and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) coverage for workers who contract COVID-19 by a wide margin, according to a survey conducted by polling firm Stratcom for the BC Federation of Labour. See the full BC Federation of Labour release and survey data here. See HSA's submission to...

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...