HSA’s annual fall regional meetings have been scheduled for September and October 2020. Regional meetings are an excellent forum for HSA members to review the issues and activities of the past year, and discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

All meetings will be held online. Participants will be required to join meetings through a virtual platform.

While the meetings are open to all members in the Region, only eligible delegates will receive wage replacement for the day.

As part of the Nurses Bargaining Association 2019-2022 collective agreement, effective April 1, 2020, HSA registered psychiatric nurses are eligible for partial reimbursement of fees paid to the BC College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP).

The rate of reimbursement has been set at $215 per member.

RISING TOGETHER: WOMEN FOR A JUST ECONOMY
Taking Stock & Resetting the Frame
Thursday, July 23, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. PST

An Invitation to a cross-country webinar from the Equal Pay Coalition 

HSA Unions Confronting White Supremacy Virtual Workshop 

Last month Health Minister Adrian Dix reported on racist actions of healthcare workers.  HSA strongly condemns these actions and has made a commitment to provide access to educational opportunities on anti-racist issues. 

HSA members are invited to join a live and interactive telephone town hall event tomorrow evening – Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 pm (PST).

This is an opportunity for the union to update members on important information regarding COVID-19 policies and practices that affect your work, to report on the union’s plans for the coming months, and for members to ask questions and share information.

HSA’s Board of Directors has voted unanimously to waive the union’s policy on collecting union dues on all employment income to exclude employment income earned under the Temporary Pandemic Pay announced May 19.
 

A serious occupational health and safety issue related to PPE in hospital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) departments has been uncovered regarding the safety of certain masks and respirators in an MRI setting.

HSA has called on health authorities and the Provincial Occupational Health and Safety Committee to provide details on the steps underway to identify and remove any masks or respirators that may not be compatible in MRI departments, and to ensure they are not reintroduced into MRI departments.

BC FED OHS Centre free webinars for OHS activist during COVID-19

The BCFED OH&S Centre has scheduled free COVID-19 related online webinars as follows:

OH&S Committee role during COVID-19
Tuesday May 26, 2020 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.  

To: HSA members working in community social services
From: HSA and Community Social Services Bargaining Associaton

On March 26, 2020 the BC Government used their extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act, to issue ministerial orders to ensure a coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic across all levels of government.  These orders have direct implications for workers in the Community Social Services Sector. 

TO: HSA members working in Long Term Care

In an effort to slow the transmission of COVID-19 in BC’s hard-hit Long Term Care facilities, BC’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, issued two province-wide orders aimed at restricting movement of health care staff between Long Term Care facilities. The orders went into effect yesterday, Thursday March 26, 2020