HSA annual union convention kicks off Friday

HSA President Reid Johnson opens convention

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Members of the Health Sciences Association, the union delivering modern health care that represents health sciences professionals who deliver diagnosis, treatment and recovery in BCs hospitals and communities, is meeting this weekend at its 42nd annual convention in Vancouver.

Over the course of the next two days members will be debating a number of resolutions as the union adds to and enhances the agenda it has built over the past four decades.

The convention will feature debates on a number of resolutions submitted by members from around the province, including proposals to improve health care and social services in BC, ways to increase the profile of health science professionals, and issues related to the union's governance.

In addition to debates on resolutions, there will be an election for president. Delegates to the union's convention elect HSA's president every two years. Candidates for president are incumbent Reid Johnson, who has been the union's president for six years and a social worker at the Centre for Ability in Vancouver, and Ali Rirash, a medical laboratory technologist at Victoria General Hospital in Victoria.

Delegates will welcome guest speakers, Mike Farnworth, a former Minister of Health and opposition health critic, James Clancy, President of the National Union of Public and General Employees, Jim Sinclair, President of the BC Federation of Labour, and Ron Stipp, from the Pacific Region of the Canadian Labour Congress.

The HSA 42nd Annual Convention gets underway at 8:30 a.m. Friday, April 19 at the Fairmont Vancouver Hotel, and wraps up at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20.

Agenda

April 18
1:00 pm Plenary begins
4:00 pm Regional Meetings
5:00 pm HSA Social

April 19
8:30 am Call to order
9:30 am President's Report
11:00 am Guest Speaker Ron Stipp, CLC
12:00 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Guest Speaker Jim Sinclair BC Federation of Labour
3:00 pm Guest Speaker Mike Farnworth, NDP Health Critic
6:00 pm Reception and Banquet

April 20
8:30 am Call to order
12:00 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Guest Speaker James Clancy, NUPGE
4:00 pm Adjournment