The 2023 HSAS Annual Convention was and Annual General Meeting was held in Regina at the Delta Marriott Hotel.

Due to COVID-19 and unforseen circumstances some of the planned speakers and sessions had to be replaced.

Day 1 started with HSAS Manager of Economic and Policy Research, Dustin McNichol and Victoria Taras presenting their research regarding privatization across Canada. Following that, Kellie Garrett presented Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead program that discusses vulnerability and it’s impacts on interpersonal relationships in the workplace.

After lunch, we were joined by Greg Gettle, Assistant Deputy Minister of Health, who spoke of the government’s goals for healthcare in the province as well as answered member’s questions about the plans for recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals.

Day 1 wrapped up with Kane Tse, President of HSABC, speaking to delegates in depth about NUPGE, what being a NUPGE component has meant to HSABC, and what it provides to HSAS.

Following the day’s events, a Members’ Reception was held in the evening, which was open to all members, and allowed delegates and attendees to network and get to know one another. This event featured a presentation to HSAS President, Karen Wasylenko as she was retiring that fall.

Day 2 started with the Annual General Meeting which included the passing of the proposed resolutions and the acknowledgement of incoming new executive council members as well as the new HSAS President, Karen Schmid.

Following the AGM, Jason MacLean the Treasurer of NUPGE joined HSAS Executive Director, Al Boutin and outgoing HSAS President, Karen Wasylenko for a panel discussion about the future of HSAS, new initiatives, and the landscape of labour in Canada right now.

Day 2 wrapped up with our annual Members’ Forum, where Associate Director – Labour Relations, Kim Canning and Senior Labour Relations Officer, Jesse Payne dispelled some common misconceptions regarding the Collective Agreement.

HSAS would like to thank all the Delegates, guests and staff that took part in Convention this year.

The 2024 HSAS Annual Convention will be held in Saskatoon on October 24 & 25, 2024.

The 2022 HSAS Annual Convention and Annual General Meeting was held on October 20 & 21, 2022 at the beautiful Top of the Inn at the Sheraton Cavalier in Saskatoon.

Day 1 of Convention began with a presentation by Gary Bainbridge, KC from BJH Law discussing the arbitration process.

He recapped some recent big wins as the union’s legal counsel and answered questions from the floor.

Juliet Bushi presented the second session of the day. Juliet is the Provincial Director of the Saskatchewan Health Coalition. Today she discussed the Coalition’s primary goal of defending public healthcare in Saskatchewan.

Then our featured key note speaker Susan Stewart performed. Susan is an author and comedian who presented a hilarious and fun-filled talk about building resiliency with humour. With her witty stories and relatable jokes, she had the whole crowd cracking up.

To finish up the day, HSAS Manager of Communications/ Member Benefits, Natalie Horejda, delved into the history of Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan since its inception fifty years ago. Walking delegates through a visual journey of past dispatches, newspaper clippings, and original documents while providing insight into the battles the union has fought in the past and how it’s lead us to where we are now. Since 1972 the Union has grown to 4,000+ members, across 30+ professions, in all corners of Saskatchewan.

Day 2 of convention has kicked off by the Annual General Meeting and then continued with the Members’ Forum where HSAS Labour Relations Officers, Jessie Payne and Brina Surkan, took questions from the floor and discussed various topics including AIMS, workload, and postings.

After lunch, we held an OH&S Focus Group where we learned about members’ personal experiences with OH&S committees to gather data to support future OH&S initiatives.

Thank you to all the Delegates, guests, and staff who came together for an informative and fun-filled Annual Convention. This year we celebrated fifty years of representing healthcare professionals and we hope to serve our members for many more years to come.

The 2023 HSAS Annual Convention will be held in Regina on October 19 & 20, 2023.

The 49^th Annual HSAS Convention was held October 21 & 22, 2021. The event was broadcast over Zoom from the Delta Hotel by Marriot in Regina.

After closely monitoring increased Covid-19 cases across the province, the Union decided it was best to deliver a hybrid event this year. By moving away from a full in-person event, the Union was able to leverage its use of Zoom to deliver the event to delegates who tuned in from across the province.

During the two-day event, Delegates heard from HSAS OH&S Committee Chair and Paramedic, Travis Bollen about the importance of OH&S committees in workplaces. HSAS members are encouraged to become involved with the committee in their workplace or worksite. The market supplement program was featured and a labour update was provided by HSAS Executive Director, Dean Job and HSAS Labour Relations Officers.

Mental health advocate and comedian Kevin Breel shared his personal experience with depression and providing support to his peers who have also struggled or suffered. Dr. Bill Howatt followed with a presentation about his clinical research into the root causes of mental health illnesses and disorders. Dr. Howatt discussed tools and resources that people can use to combat feeling mentally unwell.

During the Annual General Meeting HSAS President Karen Wasylenko shared a summary of the Union’s activities over the fiscal year. Resolutions passed during this meeting provide the Union with the option to make use of online voting and a new bylaw that outlines the Union’s procedures for electing HSAS Members to provincial OH&S committees.

The popular HSAS Member’s Forum closed the annual convention. Dean Job lead the discussion with Union leadership and delegates.

The 50^th Annual Convention is being planned for October 2022. Announcements about the next Convention will happen in the Spring of 2022. HSAS Members are encouraged to keep an eye on their email and the HSAS website for more information.

EMBRACING CHANGING HEALTH CARE OPPORTUNITIES

The 48^th Annual HSAS Convention was delivered online for the first time in the Union’s history. During the one-day digital event, Delegates attended the annual general meeting via Zoom and heard from two engaging keynote speakers about selfcare and growth during times of adversity.

Author and wellness coach Margo Talbot introduced methods to identify and enhance life through movement, along with practices to reassign energy. Her experiences with addictions and working with youth provided insights into self care and wellness as healing principles.

After a profound climbing incident left him a double leg amputee, Warren MacDonald challenged and revaluated perceptions of opportunity, resiliency and innovation. During his keynote address, Warren spoke to change as inevitable and an important part of ongoing growth.

The 47^th HSAS Convention took place on October 24 & 25, 2019 in Regina, SK at the Delta Hotel Regina. The Convention was attended by 54 Delegates representing 10 of the 12 HSAS Union Regions, along with 2 registered Guests and 7 HSAS Staff members.

During the first day of Convention, Delegates and Guests heard from Mike Harnett, President, Solaris Fatigue Management.

Ms. Harnett is President of Solaris Fatigue Management, and Director of Operations for WorkSMART Ergonomics. She specializes in optimizing worker health, safety and performance.  She has over 25 years of experience consulting with various government agencies including NASA, the Canadian Standards Association, and Transportation Safety Boards in both the US and Canada. She has assisted with both ergonomic and fatigue management program development for a variety of organizations including nuclear, airline, oil & gas, municipal, health care, first responder, and film & entertainment industries.

During her presentation, Ms. Harnett explained the science behind sleep and the damage that fatigue causes to our bodies and minds. Ms. Harnett walked those in attendance through the four stages of sleep, explaining the benefits of each cycle for the body, emotions and cognitive function. She shared real world examples of how both fatigue and shift work negatively impact our motor functions, moods and desires. She also shared tips and tricks for getting a good night sleep, such as 7-9 hours of sleep a night, in complete darkness, without any interruptions.

The second speaker of the first day of Convention, was Cybersecurity Expert, Joshua Crumbaugh. Mr. Crumbaugh is one of the world’s leading security awareness experts and internationally renowned cybersecurity speaker. He is the developer of the Human Security Assurance Maturity Model (HumanSAMM) and Chief Hacker at PeopleSec. He is also an expert social engineer who has talked his way into bank vaults, Fortune 500 data centers, corporate offices, restricted areas of casinos and more. His experiences highlighted a significant need for a better “human solution”. This led him to a passion in social engineering and better-understanding ways to stop social engineering attacks.

Along with real world examples and stories of how Mr. Crumbaugh has fooled some of the world’s executives into allowing him into their offices or computer systems, Mr. Crumbaugh offered Delegates personal cybersecurity advice such as creating and protecting passwords, the use of applications that provide additional security while online or managing multiple online accounts. Delegates were impressed by Mr. Crumbaugh’s ability to test and break established security processes around the world.

Members attended the HSAS Annual Member’s reception the evening of October 24, 2019 in the Lombardi Room at the Delta Hotel.  

The second day of Convention opened with the 2019 HSAS Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Following the AGM, the Annual Labour Relations Update was provided by Kier Vallance, Legal Counsel with Bainbridge Jodouin Cheecham in Saskatoon, SK. Mr. Vallance, spoke to the successful Field Hours Arbitration between HSAS & SAHO. Mr. Vallance outlined key aspects of the arbitration that proved that the new Employer directives for Field Hours restricted the flexibility of Employees to govern their hours of work, for the purpose of client and essential program needs, within any day or series of days. Instead, the Employer set out strict guidelines for these Employees.

HSAS Executive Director, Dean Job and HSAS President, Karen Wasylenko hosted a Member’s Forum panel, immediately after the Labour Relations Update. Convention Delegates and Guests were invited participate in discussions and seek clarification regarding workplace issues. HSAS Labour Relations Officers Kevin Glass and Chris Wright also participated in the discussion and answered member questions related to hours of work, overtime and Employer issued “Letters of Expectation”. Members were encouraged to reach out to HSAS Labour Relations here or call one of the HSAS offices when questions or issues arise regarding their employment.

The 48^th Annual Convention will be held in Saskatoon, October 22 & 23, 2020.

Focusing on You!

The 46^th Annual HSAS Convention took place on October 25 & 26, 2018 in Saskatoon, SK at the Top of the Inn, Sheraton Cavalier Hotel. The Convention was attended by 49 Delegates representing 10 of the 12 union regions, along with 9 registered Guests.

During the first day of Convention, Delegates and Guests heard from Stéphane Grenier, Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired), Canadian Armed Forces.

Mr. Grenier has challenged our traditional view of mental health supports in the workplace and beyond, by redefining how those affected by mental illness or PTSD are cared for and viewed by coworkers and peers. He spoke to his own struggles with PTSD as a result of his deployment in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. He shared the need for peer support in workplaces as an embedded social support, along with a change in workplace culture that demonstrates understanding, empathy and compassion towards people who struggle with mental illness.

The second presenter of the first day was Avinash Maniram, Partner and Senior Consultant with Actuarial Consultants Ltd. in Vancouver, BC. Mr. Maniram spoke to the long-term effects of a sedentary life style in his presentation “Is Sitting the New Smoking?”.

Insufficient physical activity is the fourth leading cause of death in Canada. Fifteen percent (15%) of adult Canadians meet the daily recommended physical activity guidelines; which means that only 1 in 4 Canadians are active in their daily lives, while 80% of children are not active enough. Repetitive daily activities that involve sitting such as drive time to and from work, time spent sitting at a desk, watching tv, gaming or doing homework all contribute to a sedentary lifestyle that has negative long-term consequences on health. Mr. Maniram provided examples of how a sedentary lifestyle changes the serotonin levels in the brain and increases pulmonary and vascular misfunction. Mr. Maniram recommends that humans should achieve 10,000 steps per day and sit no more than two hours each day.

The last part of the first day of Convention welcomed Marcus Davies, Legal Counsel with Bainbridge Jodouin Cheecham in Saskatoon, SK. During his presentation Mr. Davies explained the differences between Sick Leave and Disability Income Plan in the HSAS & SAHO Collective Agreement, and touched on some of the concerns and questions that members brought forward about the recent legalization of Cannabis in Canada

Members attended the HSAS Annual Member’s reception the evening of October 25, 2018 at the Top of the Inn.

The second day of Convention opened with the 2018 HSAS Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Following the AGM, HSAS Executive Director, Dean Job and HSAS President, Karen Wasylenko hosted a Member’s Forum panel. Convention Delegates and Guests were invited participate in discussions and seek clarification regarding workplace issues. HSAS Labour Relations Officer Jesse Payne also participated in the discussion and answered member questions related to changes which occurred subsequent to the creation of the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the impact of these changes on members. Members were encouraged to reach out to [email protected] when questions or issues arise regarding their employment.

Click here to view the Convention 2018 Photo gallery.

The 47^th Annual Convention will be held in Regina, October 24 & 25, 2019.

The HSAS Convention 2017 took place on October 26 & 27, 2017 in Regina, SK at the Hotel Saskatchewan. The Convention was attended by 58 Delegates representing 10 of the 12 Saskatchewan health regions, along with 3 registered Guests. 

During the first day of Convention delegates and guests heard from Lori Johb, Secretary, Saskatchewan Federation of Labour and Chair of the Board for Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health (SASWH).

Lori Johb, a longtime advocate for safe workplaces, lead a discussion around Occupational Health and Safety at work and your rights and responsibilities. She touched on topics important to HSAS members such as; inclement weather, travel, working alone, violence and more. Included in her presentation, Johb spoke about the SASWH and shared some of the advances and challenges they have met over the past few years, including how OH&S legislation applies to committees and committee members.

Delegates also heard from members of Population Health in the Saskatoon Health Region (SHR), who shared concrete tools and strategies currently used by the SHR to support health workers as they respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: 94 Calls to Action in their personal and professional lives. The speakers presented the strategies that the Saskatoon Health Region has established in response to the Calls, as they relate to health, which includes signing a Health Equity Position Statement and a Commitment to Reconciliation. The speakers were: Neal Kewistep, Interim Director, Population Health, Erin Beckwell, Knowledge Transition Specialist & Policy Analyst and Jason Jarotski, Public Health Inspector.

Following the formal agenda of the first day, delegates and members attended the annual Members’ Reception.

The HSAS 2017 Annual General Meeting Agenda took place on the morning of October 27, 2017.

Subsequent to the Annual General Meeting, HSAS Executive Director Dean Job and President Karen Wasylenko held a Members’ Forum panel.  As in previous years, delegates in attendance took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and obtain clarification. Discussions around the upcoming launch of the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the effects the amalgamation will have on the current collective agreement with SAHO took place. Dean Job explained that the employer is bound by the current agreement that does not expire until March 31, 2018.

After the completion of the Members’ Forum, delegates in attendance were to be addressed by guest speaker Charles Smith regarding the current collective bargaining climate in Saskatchewan, and how austerity will affect future negotiations for Unions in the province. Unfortunately, Charles was unable to attend to address the Convention delegates.

Click here to view the Convention 2017 Photo Gallery

The 46^th Annual Convention will be held in Saskatoon, October 25 & 26, 2018.

The HSAS Convention 2016 took place on October 27 and 28 in Saskatoon. The Convention was attended by 53 delegates representing 11 of the 12 health regions. 

Convention 2016 began in the afternoon of October 27 with Curtis Weber speaking about Workplace Safety and Personal Experiences. Curtis led the audience through his personal journey which included a battle of life or death and a six year recovery from a workplace accident.

On the second half of Thursday afternoon, delegates had the opportunity to hear from Larry Brown, President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). Larry spoke on the Environmental Scan of the Labour Movement in Canada; the Threats to it, and Opportunities for it.

Following the formal agenda of Thursday afternoon, delegates and members attended the evening Members’ Reception.

The HSAS 2016 Annual General Meeting Agenda took place on the morning of October 28.

Following the Annual General Meeting, HSAS Executive Director Dean Job and President Karen Wasylenko, Board of Governor and HSAS Benefits Committee Representative Karen Schmid and Board of Governor Natalie Horejda held a Members’ Forum Panel, which reviewed the history of the healthcare employees’ extended health and enhanced dental benefit plan, current funding and financial health of the plan and the Ministry of Health’s request for union approval for health region employers to take a ‘contribution holiday’ from the payment of the benefit plan contributions – up to the amount of $100,000,000. It was noted that if any agreement was reached between HSAS and the Ministry of Health, it would be subject to the approval of HSAS members through a ratification vote.

As in previous years, delegates in attendance took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and obtain clarification.

Following completion of the Members’ Forum, delegates in attendance were to be addressed by guest speaker Heather Thiessen. Heather is a strong advocate for patient and family-centred care and was involved with the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement initiative where she served as a coach to two different health care facilities. Her topic at the HSAS 2016 Convention was to be Personal Experiences in Saskatchewan Health Care. Unfortunately, Heather was unable to attend to address the Convention delegates.

Convention 2017 will be held in Regina on October 26 and 27 at the Hotel Saskatchewan.

HSAS Convention 2015 took place on October 22 and 23 in Regina. The Convention was attended by 48 delegates representing 10 of the twelve health regions. Convention 2015 began in the afternoon of October 22 with speaker, Marcus Davies of BJC law firm, Saskatoon. Gary Bainbridge of BJC law firm had originally been slated to speak but was not able to attend. Mr. Davies spoke to two timely and relevant issues. The first topic focused on social media and the workplace- considerations and case law. The second topic reviewed the Supreme Court ruling on the Saskatchewan essential services legislation (2008), deemed unconstitutional and the recently proposed replacement legislation. The second half of Thursday afternoon was Members’ Forum. HSAS Executive Director Dean Job and four of the five Labour Relations Officers addressed a number of topics. They included: little known provisions contained within the collective agreement, review of the range of leaves of absence also contained within the collective agreement, and workplace conflict/harassment. As in previous years, delegates in attendance took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and obtain clarification. Following the formal agenda of Thursday afternoon, delegates and members attended the evening Members’ Reception. Annual General Meeting agenda took place on the morning of October 23. Following completion of the meeting, delegates in attendance were addressed by guest speaker Dionne Pohler. Dionne is an Assistant Professor at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School- Edwards School of Business, Saskatoon. Dionne spoke on two distinct but related topics: Unions and the Media and Modern day Unions.

On November 5, 2010, HSAS held its 38th Annual Convention at the TCU Place in Saskatoon. There were 43 HSAS members and staff present for the event. The day started off with a presentation from Kerry Finucan who spoke to members about stress in the workplace, particularly for healthcare workers. Finucan’s comment “If you’re feeling burned out it might be you, but it might not be you. It might well be the healthcare system and your workplace that is causing the stress” resonated with attendees. Finucan spoke about the symptoms of burnout in the workplace and heavy price that healthcare professionals pay in a system where professional healthcare practice values are being impaired by organizations that fail to support those professional values. Finucan suggested that patient and client outcomes are closely linked to the way healthcare organizations treat their employees and these organizations must change to create positive practice environments.

Our 34th Annual Convention was held on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Saskatoon. A delegate orientation was held the morning of the 18th. Although any HSAS member may attend the Annual Convention only delegates are permitted to vote. Delegates are made up of:

1. Those elected by HSAS members in each Health Region; and
2. Executive Council members.

There were potentially 33 delegates that could have been elected by HSAS members in the Health Regions; however, only 22 were elected and of those 19 attended the Convention. All of the 17 Executive Council members attended as delegates. Additionally, 15 of the general membership along with 2 guests; namely, the President and Executive Director of our sister union in Manitoba were in attendance (The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals). The meeting opened with our guest speaker Dr. Rachlis speaking on how Canadians are fixing our health system with prevention and innovation. The Business Meeting commenced at the conclusion of Dr. Rachlis’s talk and was chaired by President Chris Driol. Following presentations of the various reports results of Executive Council elections were announced. A resolution for Executive Council to consider permitting the President to take a leave of absence from his full time job and be paid full time by the Union for the period December 20, 2006 to November 20, 2007 engendered lively discussion. Prior to adjournment Natalie Horejda was announced as the recipient of the 2006 Roberta Ekberg award. A social was held at the conclusion of the meeting to welcome new members to HSAS.