News & Updates

The municipal Pension Plan continues to offer pension seminars to plan members. Plan members have a choice of two seminars. Your Pension, Your Future is for new and mid-career plan members. In this seminar, they'll explain pension benefits and help members understand how decisions they make today can impact their future pension income. Members will learn how to read their...

The various Health Authorities in the Lower Mainland (VCHA, PHSA, FHA and PHC) today issued a press release dealing with "Lower Mainland Consolidation Opportunities". The Union was only given the information, at a meeting with various Health Authorities, immediately before the press release was made public. The Union has not yet been provided any specific information in regards any potential...

One-time only opportunity to apply for portability of previous seniority credits In early 2008, the Nurses Bargaining Association was able to bargain a modification to portability of seniority for employees covered by the nurses provincial collective agreement. HSA was at the table representing our registered psychiatric nurse members. The collective agreement will be modified so that regular employees will receive...

This years annual Run for the Cure, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's most important fundraiser, is Sunday October 4. HSA has supported the run since 1997, and is one of three regional sponsors of the Run for the Cure. At every step from diagnosis to treatment and recovery, highly trained health science professionals use their expertise to help breast cancer...

The B.C. Federation of Labour Young Worker Retreat is planned for September 25 to 27 at Camp Jubilee. Participants at last year's retreat for 19- to 30-year-old union members enjoyed the opportunity to meet other newcomers and activists to the union movement, and the retreat is expected to fill up quickly. Follow the link for information about registration and retreat...

Health Sciences Association will hold a Bargaining Proposal Conference November 8-10, 2009 to prepare for bargaining of a new collective agreement for health science professionals. The current collective agreement expires March 31, 2010. Elections for delegates to the Bargaining Proposal Conference will be held at regional meetings set for September and October 2009. The schedule of regional meetings follows. All...

Union members interested in participating in Vancouvers Pride Week events this year are encouraged to join two Multi-Union Pride events. Saturday, Aug. 1: Dyke MarchThe Vancouver Dyke March brings an all-inclusive march and festival to the East Side (Commercial Drive area). Participants, friends, and supporters can enjoy an afternoon of visibility, pride, music, community, art and merry-making the day before...

HSA members and stewards, including OHS stewards, are encouraged to help the union gather information about the state of preparedness in your facility for a possible pandemic. Please complete a short online survey to help HSA gather information about the extent to which Health Authorities are prepared to protect the health of employees, as well as patients and their families...

Taking a tough stand on health care budgets will hurt British Columbia at a time it wants to shine, says Reid Johnson, president of the Health Sciences Association, the union that represents 16,000 health science professionals who provide the diagnostic, clinical, and rehabilitation services British Columbians count on for your good health. Just last week, Health Minister Kevin Falcon was...

(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...