HSA members in Region 7 have re-elected Marg Beddis, a dietitian at Surrey Memorial Hospital, as their representative on the HSA Board of Directors.

Since becoming an HSA member in 1991, Marg has been active as a Steward, Assistant Chief Steward and Chief Steward for Surrey Memorial Hospital.  She has also served as a Member-at-Large, and on several HSA committees, including Occupational Health and Safety, Political Action, Equality and Social Action, and Resolutions. Marg has also been an HSA Constituency Liaison in Surrey.

HSA members in Region 1 have again acclaimed Suzanne Bennett as their representative to the HSA Board of Directors. She was acclaimed after the February 12th deadline passed with no further nominations. 
Suzanne has been the Region 1 Director since 2006.  She is the first HSA member from the community social services sector to serve on the board.

Suzanne is a youth addictions counsellor at the John Howard Society in Courtenay. She has been a member of HSA since 1998 and served as chief steward for five years. 

(This information applies to HSA members of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association.)

In January of 2008 the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association successfully negotiated an agreement to resolve issues flowing from the Supreme Court of Canada decision that certain sections of Bill 29 were unconstitutional. HSA made professional development for our members a priority. As a result, the final agreement included a fund for professional development education for all HSPBA members.

Presented by The Occupational Health & Safety Agency for Healthcare in BC

Inside PEARS is a quarterly e-newsletter intended to keep you informed on what is happening in the PEARS community. This newsletter is a forum for sharing success stories and best practices, and for learning about new research and issues impacting PEARS programs across the province.

Between 2003 and 2007 more than 10 per cent of BC health care and social assistance claims were violence-related, according to WorkSafeBC. Taking into account incidents of violence that are not reported or do not result in a claim, a true picture of violence faced by BC health care workers is still unknown.

Canadas labour leaders have given a resounding thumbs-down to the economic stimulus package presented in the federal budget. While it may address some of the difficult circumstances that working families face, they say it is fundamentally flawed and fails to address the problems faced by the hundreds of thousands of people who are losing their jobs.

On February 5, 2009, more than 200 organizations and community leaders joined together to call on all BC political parties to commit to a comprehensive, legislated poverty reduction plan.

Health Sciences Association of BC is one of the more than 200 organizations to sign onto an open letter calling for a commitment to a comprehensive poverty reducation plan. 

From Knowledge to Action: Solutions that Work
BC Health Authorities conference abstract deadline

The BC Healthcare Collaborative Group is hosting the second Workplace Health, Safety and Wellness Conference in Kelowna, BC on September 14-15, 2009. "From Knowledge to Action: Solutions that Work"

The Harper government has let Canadians down again with a stimulus package that is short on the bold investments needed to boost the economy, create jobs and protect vulnerable families, says the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).

The union says the budget is not equal to the challenges facing the country and should be significantly amended or defeated.

Read more on the NUPGE website.

Space is still available in the non-partisan election campaign school HSA is holding for members interested in working on election campaigns or running for political office.  The school will focus on the May 12, 2009 provincial election, and will be the only campaign school HSA offers before this election.

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!