HSA applauds Dietitians of Canada call for increased minimum wage

VANCOUVER , Dec. 16 /CNW/ - The Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA) welcomes this week's call by the Dietitians of Canada for British Columbia to adopt a comprehensive poverty reduction plan that includes an increase to the minimum wage.

"As the Dietitians of Canada report The Cost of Eating in BC 2009 notes, too many British Columbians are living in poverty. Poverty is a key factor in poor nutrition and poor health outcomes," said HSA President Reid Johnson .

"As health science professionals, we know that prevention is a key factor for improved health. Proper nutrition is a preventative measure that families living in poverty just don't have equal access to," Johnson said.

HSA, along with the Dietitians of Canada and almost 300 other organizations and individuals, is a signatory to the BC Poverty Reduction Committee call for the provincial government to take concrete action to combat poverty.

The BC Poverty Reduction Committee calls for government to take key policy steps, including providing adequate and accessible income support for the non-employed, improving the earnings and working conditions of those in the low-wage workforce, and improving food security for low-income individuals and families. See the full poverty reduction strategy at http://bcpovertyreduction.ca.

"HSA and our members are committed professionally and personally to supporting the vulnerable adults and children in our communities who depend on the health and social services health science professionals deliver," Johnson said.

HSA is the union that represents the team of health science professionals who provide diagnostic, clinical, and rehabilitation services in British Columbia's hospitals and communities. Dietitians are key university-trained members of the health care team who provide critical treatment with therapeutic and regular nutrition.

For further information: Miriam Sobrino, [phone] or [phone], [email protected], www.hsabc.org