This year, Regional Director elections will take place in Regions 1, 3, 5, 7, & 9.  All HSA members in these regions are encouraged to put their name forward for these important positions.

Directors meet, on average, every six weeks and take an active leadership role in representing the union.  They receive wage replacement for the time they spend in official meetings at their own regular rate of pay.  Part-time and casual members are reimbursed as if they were at work during the meetings they attend.

HSA members will soon be preparing for the 2011 HSA Convention, to be held April 7, 8, & 9, 2011 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver.

Conventions are the unions annual meeting where chapters from around the province determine the future direction of the union.  Policies, actions, constitutional amendments, structural changes are all discussed and debated at convention.

The next HSA Annual Convention will take place April 7-9, 2011 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver.

All HSA members are welcome to attend and speak at the convention.  However, only delegates have the right to vote.

For chapters with 49 or fewer members, the HSA chief steward is the sole delegate.  If the chief steward is not attending convention, an alternate should be identified.  Chapters with more than 49 members are entitled to one additional delegate for each additional 50 members or portion thereof.

HSA members who work at CML Healthcare on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland have voted to accept a new contract providing significant gains. The ratification votes were held last week.

For highlights of the agreement, see the November 23, 2010 bulletin.

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By Anne Davis
HSA member and transition house worker

The call comes late at night.  A woman is weeping; she says she has been beaten.  Its not the first time and the attacks are more brutal each time.  She is hurting and scared and doesnt know what to do.  She thought her children were sleeping but now she knows the oldest child was awake and listening; he is also hurting and scared.  Her partner has stormed out of the house; she doesnt know when he will return or what his mood will be when he does.  She doesnt know what to do.

HSA is offering Political Action Fund support for members to attend a Municipal Election Issues & Campaign Strategies workshop being offered by the Canadian Labour Congress.

Dates:  January 16-21, 2011
Location:  CLC Winter School, Harrison Hot Springs

This workshop will discuss basic campaign fundamentals, messaging and communications, campaign tactics, media relations, and the process of creating a campaign plan.  These skills can be applied to internal union campaigns, issue-based campaigns, and election campaigns.

The Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association continues to meet with the Health Employers Association of BC to negotiate a new collective agreement.

Two weeks ago, the union association served notice to the employer that a concessionary package is completely unacceptable to health science professionals.

HSA is offering scholarships and bursaries to all members and their children. We will be awarding ten scholarships for full-time studies, twenty bursaries for full-time studies, four bursaries for part-time studies, and two aboriginal scholarships.

The criteria and details are set out on the application forms. To obtain a copy please see the HSA website.

HSAs bargaining team for CML Healthcare employees has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract providing significant gains. The union represents approximately 200 CML members on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

The unions board of directors is recommending acceptance of the agreement.

Wage increases
The contract commences January 1, 2011, and expires December 31, 2015.  The contract contains significant gains in all five years of the agreement.

• January 1, 2011:

Union encourages flu shots
HSA encourages health professionals to get immunized against seasonal influenza.

Keep your immunization record current and your employee health file up to date by receiving a flu shot at an employer-run clinic.

Together with hand washing and safe coughing protocols (eg coughing into sleeve), follow regular safety protocols to avoid seasonal flu.