On June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day – HEU joins Canadians across the country to celebrate the unique heritage, traditions and contributions of Indigenous Peoples. The day was first proclaimed by Canada’s Governor General in 1996.
The union’s Indigenous Peoples Standing Committee encourages all HEU locals to show our solidarity with one another and participate in local events.
The union actively supports the 94 calls to action recommended by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the need for safe drinking water for Indigenous communities, recognition for residential school survivors and the call to action for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The Hospital Employees’ Union has proudly represented health care workers at First Nations’ health centres and services since the mid-1990s, after overcoming significant legal challenges to do so.
Currently, HEU negotiates five independent collective agreements, covering about 170 First Nations members working across the province. They include members of the Gitxsan, Stz’uminus, Nisga’a, Skidegate, Gitanyow and Gitwangak nations. And of course the union’s membership includes many Indigenous workers through the province’s health care system and in community social services.