FAQs

What is a union?

 

A union is simply you and your coworkers coming together to make positive changes you couldn’t otherwise make alone.

 

How could joining HSA benefit me personally as a healthcare worker?

 

By joining HSA, you would gain the power to negotiate collectively for better pay, improved working conditions, benefits, and job security. Unions amplify your voice and provide the opportunity to make positive changes in your workplace. Plus, being part of a union means having access to resources and support when you need it.

 

What role do unions play in improving patient care and safety?

 

Unions understand the critical link between healthcare worker well-being and patient care. HSA actively works to improve patient care and safety by fighting for adequate staffing, necessary resources, and safer environments for our members. This ensures healthcare workers can provide high-quality care to their patients.

 

What are my rights as a union member?

 

Union members get to vote on their own leadership as well as what goes into their contracts. If you have any workplace questions or need representation for a disciplinary meeting you can contact a union representative where you work, the members at each workplace oversee their own union. The union is not an “outsider.” The union is you!

 

What are union dues and how much are they?

 

Your union dues are your power. They pay for the resources you need to win the things you want in your contract, and to enforce that contract once you bargain it. Union members set the price of dues through your democratic governance structure and every penny of it goes to fighting to win better working conditions and grow our members power. They are 1% of the PGY2 Salary.

 

How does collective bargaining work?

 

Your union contract is renegotiated every 4 years. The current contract however has been extended to 2025. Next year you will nominate a group of HSA representatives to bargain collectively for your wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment (starting from where we are at, not zero). As a group you decide what you want to bargain for and your bargaining team will draft proposals and sit down with management / decision makers to negotiate contract changes. Once both sides reach a deal, HSA members will decide whether or not to accept those changes/additions in a vote.

 

Will my employer retaliate if I am in a union?

 

No! Employers cannot infringe on your section 7 workers rights. Meaning that employers cannot threaten you, they cannot spy on union activity - or create the impression of such surveillance, they cannot promise improvements/promotions (however if you were offered a raise your employer would only have to ask your union to ‘Okay’ it) - your employer cannot interrogate you about any union activity, and lastly, your employer cannot punish you for union activity - being involved, talking about your union at work, wearing HSA apparel or buttons, etc.

 

Will I be forced to participate in strikes if I join HSA?

 

No. People don’t choose to strike easily. To go on strike is a last resort that you and your coworkers decide on together through a democratic process when staying at work and accepting less is not an option for you and your families. The vote must show overwhelming support to strike (about 90%) for your bargaining team to be able to call a strike.