Position Statements

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) upholds a set of values based in social democracy, social justice and environmental justice. These values guide HSAA in taking positions on issues that arise on an ongoing basis. Our position statements align with our mission, vision, values and strategic plan.

HSAA is affiliated with the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and its subordinate bodies – the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) and the various District Labour Councils across Alberta.

To learn more about the mission and strategic plan that guide HSAA, click here.

On this page you can review the web version of our position statements. A PDF file can also be downloaded.

Position Statement 42 - The Ten Principles of Unionism

  • My union is built on our members. The strength, understanding and unity of the membership determine my union’s course and its advancements.
  • The members who make up my union and pay its dues are the ones to determine the right path for my union in our own interests, the interests of our union and in the interests of all the people.
  • An informed and alert membership gives my union its power. My participation in the organization, negotiations, strikes, contract enforcement, local executive, education (formal and informal), member engagement and every other aspect of union life is indispensable to union solidarity.
  • The strength of my union is built on setting aside internal differences and issues to combine for the common cause of advancing the interests of the membership. No union can successfully fulfill its purpose if it allows itself to be distracted by any issue which causes division and undermines the unity which all labour must have in the face of the employer.
  • My union believes that workers are indivisible. My union celebrates our diversity which include age, race, colour, creed, ancestry, religious or political belief, gender, ability, family status or sexual orientation. Any division among the membership that pits worker against worker interferes with the power of my union.
  • My union helps any member in times of distress. My union is more than my contract. This is a daily guide in the life of my union and its individual members.
  • Conditions of work, security of employment and benefits for members and their families are of equal importance as wages.
  • It is important for my union to organize the unorganized, in the interest of our memberships and of working people everywhere.
  • My basic aspirations and desires are the same as any worker in the world. Inter-union and international union solidarity are crucial in sharing union research, education and actions of solidarity and affiliation with each other.
  • My union looks beyond self-interest in the social and economic conditions of the communities in which we live. My union must support efforts that make communities and society a better place and promote change for the overall benefit of humanity.

Reviewed May 2018 Convention