"This tragic death highlights why we have been advocating so strongly for the immediate vaccination of all front-line health-care workers who put themselves at the greatest risk every day."
- Mike Parker, President, HSAA
"Our folks are heading into work every single day and this heartbreaking news that’s coming out now… when our members are not getting the protections that they need from the rollout of the vaccines, it is really, really tough to hear.”
- Mike Parker, President, HSAA
"Our front-line paramedics are responding to the most critical COVID-19 patients… They are at ongoing risk at the highest level and must have access to the supports and protections urgently."
- Mike Parker, President, HSAA
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HSAA office return update |
In compliance with provincial COVID restrictions, we are not planning any in-person events or meetings at HSAA facilities until the end of March at the earliest. Should restrictions be eased prior to that, we may be able to reassess; however, for the time being this restriction will aid us in planning for alternate (i.e. online) means of delivering our programs for members.
Staff will continue to work from home with only a skeletal crew in our buildings in person. In-person meetings with members will continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Local Unit activities must be limited to online. We want to ensure there is no risk of spreading the pandemic through HSAA activities. Please contact our Local Unit team for assistance in arranging online events.
We understand that these measures make life inconvenient. However, we also believe if we do our part that by this time next year we will once again be able to meet in person with confidence.
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Labour Relations Corner: Help, I've been called into a meeting about privacy! |
The January 2021 Labour Relations Corner is about understanding privacy breach investigations and how HSAA can help.
HSAA Labour Relations Officer Michelle Bogdan explains the different types of privacy breaches you need to be aware of and what happens during an investigation.
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Elections — Executive Officer nomination period opens this month! |
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2021 is an HSAA Executive Officer election year!
The nomination period opens on January 27th and closes on February 4th.
Thinking of running or like to know more about the President and Vice President positions, check out a brief description of these positions here.
Nominees for the President and Vice President will be posted to the election page on the Member Hub.You might want to bookmark this page!
- E-voting period: February 17, 2021 to February 24, 2021 @ 12:00 p.m. (noon)
- Election results posted – February 25, 2021
Board of Directors elections to follow in April with the nomination period opening March 31. Elections will be held in the following HSAA districts:
- Calgary District — 1 position
- Edmonton District — 1 position
- North District — 1 position
- South District — 1 position
For all the elections details check out the HSAA elections webpage. Bookmark it and stay tuned! |
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I ❤ Public Health Care
campaign page
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- The Issues
- News section on why public health care is under attack
- The Facts
- Tidbits of information
- Commit to the cause
- Sign your commitment card
- Learn more and share
- Access the online training hub and resources for your Local Unit
- Take Action
- Email your MLA, Premier Kenney and Health Minister Tyler Shandro
- Follow HSAA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for quick facts about the issues facing HSAA members and public health care in Alberta.
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Members have asked to be kept informed on the issues and ways they can take action. You union is launching a new, punchy newsletter for folks to say up to date on issues, actions and events across the province.
If you would like to receive HSAA Action, please email action@hsaa.ca.
For this month's campaign facts article, and additional tools and resources, click here. |
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The Young Workers Committee — The faces of young HSAA workers |
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Do you know an HSAA Young Worker who is an excellent advocate for HSAA both in and out of the workplace?
Answer the following short questions to tell us why they (or you!) should be featured as HSAA Young Worker of the Month on our Instagram page (@hsaayoungworkers).
- What is the occupation of the young worker?
- How long has the young worker been a member of HSAA?
- Does the young worker hold a position within his/her/their Local Unit?
- Please tell us a few details about the young worker and how he/she/they is/are an advocate for HSAA and other young workers.
- Please include a photo and contact information for the young worker.
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HSAA Store is updated online |
- Due to the current pandemic restrictions, and in line with parameters to limit the potential spread of COVID-19, the HSAA Store will operate virtually only until further notice.
New merch alert!
HSAA has been receiving new merchandise and servicing items each week, with the goal of having new products uploaded to the HSAA Store as quickly as possible.
- Merchandise products include zip-ups, hoodies, sweatpants, leggings and more!
- Servicing item products include cloth masks, lunch kits, hand sanitizer, 3-pt break lanyards and more!
Watch for communications in the upcoming newsletters for more info, and don't hesitate to reach out to merchandise@hsaa.ca for assistance. |
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By the Numbers: Tax changes made for 2021! |
By Gaetan Drapeau, HSAA Researcher & Policy Analyst
There are a number of tax changes members need to be aware of for 2021!
- Federal tax brackets up 1.0% based on inflation. (For more information, see tables here.)
- The basic personal amount (the amount of tax-free annual income) has increased from $13,229 to $13,808 ($579 increase).
- Employment Insurance (EI) premium is expected to remain the same as 2020 at 1.58%.
- Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) premiums up from 5.25% to 5.45% for employees.
- Maximum pensionable earnings up to $61,600.
- The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) up from $6,456 to $6,833 per child under the age of six and $5,708 to $5,765 per child between the ages of six and seventeen.
(Source: Canada Revenue Agency)
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Human Rights & Diversity Days...and puppies! |
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HEALTH SCIENCES ASSOCIATION OF ALBERTA
18410 – 100 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5S 0K6
1-844-280-HSAA (4722)
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