Health Science Professionals

BC’s 22,000 specialized health professionals working in hospitals and communities around the province reached a tentative agreement late Wednesday night after more than nine months of negotiations between the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA) and Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC). Jeanne Meyers, Executive Director of Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA), is lead negotiator for the HSPBA. “We...

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR HSA MEMBERS AFFECTED BY THE ORDER HEABC has announced that a Provincial Health Officer order from April 2020 restricting health care workers from working at multiple sites will be lifted effective January 1, 2023. The order affects health care workers at long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, and provincial mental health facilities, and had an impact on...

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR HSA MEMBERS AFFECTED BY THE ORDER HSA has learned that a Provincial Health Officer order from April 2020 restricting health care workers from working at multiple sites was lifted in Vancouver Coastal Health Authority by an exemption issued by the local Medical Health Officer on July 7, 2022. The employer failed to inform the union of the...

Update (December 2022) Subsequent to Arbitrator Hall’s decision (and monetary award to HSA) it quickly became clear that HEABC as the employer was determined to appeal the decision, delaying and perhaps preventing this money from benefiting members. During bargaining the parties agreed to consider the damage award to be annualized funding allocated to the classification redesign. This negotiated outcome replaced...

HSPBA negotiations, led by HSA and conducted by professional negotiators, subject experts on labour relations issues, and members elected by their colleagues to bring front-line perspectives, were busy over the summer working through discussions at small group tables to address issues of health and safety. The resumption of full negotiations returns the focus of discussions to wider issues, including wage...

As we enter the summer, unions leading negotiations for health science professionals (Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association - HSPBA), community health (Community Bargaining Association – CBA) and community social services (Community Social Services Bargaining Association – CSSBA) continue to co-ordinate efforts to speak with a louder voice to support common goals. Along with other unions and negotiating tables, the HSPBA...

Since its launch, the Emergency Health Provider Registry (EHPR) has adapted to respond to health system emergencies (including floods, wildfires, and other climate-change related disasters) and the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 10,000 people are currently registered with the EHPR and the Ministry of Health is undertaking a refresh of the system to update registrant information and improve our capacity to...

Please note that applications for this fund are not yet open. Members will be notified when application forms are available. The Health Sciences Association of BC is pleased to announce $3 million in new funding for professional development of health science professionals. The new funding, secured from the BC Ministry of Health, is the latest in the union’s long-standing program...

The BC government’s Ministry of Health has introduced a new program that will help MRI technologist students graduate earlier and enter the workforce sooner, an initiative that will help tackle serious shortages in one of the key health science professions. The initiative takes the form of a bursary program for the British Columbia Institute of Technology MRI Advanced Certificate program...

HSPBA Bargaining Update: Frequently-Asked Questions on Bargaining and Job Action The HSPBA bargaining committee is engaged in focused discussions with the employer through most of June. The discussions are being led by subgroups of the committee negotiating matters related to managing union leave disputes and expedited arbitration procedures. Negotiations continue, and progress is being made, but more slowly than hoped...