Today the BC Health Coalition announced the upcoming January 2009 launch of their Seniors Health Care campaign, Broken Promises. The campaign will be focused on the growing crisis in seniors health around BC.

HSA members throughout the province who are running for office or working on campaigns in the May 2009 provincial election can apply to HSA for the following financial support from HSAs Political Action Fund:

1. Members who are candidates can apply for up to 20 days of wage replacement and/or up to $200 to cover approved personal expenses incurred to run for office.

An open letter from NUPGE President James Clancy

Dear Friends:

Thank you! In the last week you proved that change can happen.

Together, we worked hard, mobilized quickly and forced Stephen Harper to back off critical parts of his economic statement, which offered nothing to address the current economic crisis and instead attacked workers rights and the opposition parties.

OTTAWA ... The President of the Canadian Labour Congress has reacted to todays shutdown of Parliament by the Prime Minister, saying it will cost people their jobs and delay much-needed action to confront the economic crisis.

-Our country is standing on the edge of an economic crisis. People are losing their jobs and watching their retirement savings evaporate. While governments around the world are taking action to stimulate their economies our Prime Minister has shut Parliament down. This is not what the country needs. We need Parliament to get to work," said Georgetti.

The B.C. Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) are calling on British Columbians to support the proposed coalition government in order to ensure that Canada has a government prepared to deal with the economic crisis the country is facing.

Canadians are worried about their jobs, their savings, and their future. Right now we need all of our political leaders to work together for the good of the economy and the country.

The National Union of Public and General Employees has started a petition for its members and the general public urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper not to shut down Parliament in order to avoid defeat in the Commons. You can sign the petition by clicking here.

This December 1st, World AIDS Day, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) wants to remind its members and all Canadians that working together we can make a difference in the lives of people living with AIDS.

Ottawa (1 Dec. 2008) ... The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is supporting a Canada-wide campaign to back a coalition that could defeat the minority Harper government.

NUPGE has joined a number of groups, including the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), to rally support across the country this week for a Liberal and NDP coalition after the Harper Conservatives failed to provide the much-needed stimulus to kick-start a weakening economy.

HSA is holding a non-partisan election campaign school for members who are interested in working on election campaigns or running for political office.  The school will focus on the provincial election scheduled for May 12, 2009.

If you want to help elect representatives who will support public health care and community social services, or are considering running for elected office some day, then HSAs election campaign school is for you!

Campaign School Dates:  Thursday & Friday, February 19 & 20, 2009

Through the union's Committee for Equality and Social Action, HSA is supporting the "We Can" campaign to end violence against women. The campaign kicks off in Vancouver with a dinner November 25 featuring guest speakers Mona Mehta of Oxfam Great Britain, Sandra Moran, of Guatemala's Women's Sector of the Civil Society, and Robert Fox, executive director of Oxfam Canada.

HSA has a limited number of free tickets for this dinner available. If you would like tickets, please send an email to: pbush@hsabc.org.