Issues, Campaigns and Government Relations

Domestic violence and workplace safety: Why policy change is neededBy Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications When we talk about health and safety in the workplace, domestic violence issues rarely enter the discussion. Yet for someone who has been awake most of the night from duress, their ability to manage workplace risks and hazards can become a serious issue. “For those people...

President's Report: This federal election, let's vote for a universal Pharmacare program By HSA President Val Avery It’s official. The federal election has been called and Canadians will head to the polls on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 to elect a new government. In the coming weeks we can expect to see and hear a lot from the various political parties...

The effects of for-profit health insurance on public health care delivery: Examining the researchBy Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications Given Canada’s close proximity to the US, Canadians often hear horror stories from Americans about healthcare, whose bodies and bank accounts are at the mercy of a very broken system. We hear anecdotes of multi-thousand dollar medical bills, personal bankruptcy, preventable deaths...

As a result of systemic violence, thousands of Indigenous women and girls have gone missing across Canada. This violence is both historic and ongoing. The National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls called this violence "a national tragedy of epic proportion" and a "deliberate and often covert campaign of genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people."...

HSA is calling on the province to expand presumptive coverage to community social service and health care workers. When a worker receives a formal diagnosis for a mental health disorder (such as PTSD) as a result of a work-related traumatic event or events, the presumptive clause is intended to make it easier to advance a Workers Compensation claim. We know...

Last week the BC NDP government announced a $95 thousand grant for the United Way to research the full impact of period poverty on people and families. According to the government press release, the initial project will distribute free products through 12 community agencies around the province and collect critical information to ensure future policies are meeting the needs of...

By Tim Lim Universal health care is an issue of national pride, shared among Canadians. Similarly, Canadians take pride in the beautiful nature encompassed in the country. Yet with recent climate change pressures – from hurricanes and floods to ravaging forest fires – the effects of climate change are threatening our ecosystems and becoming more intertwined with our daily health...

By Jennifer Edgar, HSA member I write to share what happened when union members at my worksite took action, with support from HSA, to address workload issues in our laboratory. Through working together to collect data, we success­fully challenged the hospital’s method for calculating what constitutes “reasonable work­load,” and we persuaded man­agement to deliver concrete changes that have improved the...

Are you a young HSA member (35 and under) interested in increased young worker participation in the union? The union’s board of directors is seeking members aged 35 and younger to get involved in a five-member Young Workers’ Advisory Group. The Advisory Group’s purpose is to work to understand how HSA is relevant to young workers and how to encourage...

This morning Premier John Horgan and Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Services Judy Darcy launched The Pathway to Hope - a ten-year roadmap aimed at better supporting people and families experiencing mental health and addiction challenges. Among a number of initiatives, the plan includes enhanced access to counselling, more Foundry centres, child and youth teams connected to schools, and...