Dear Members,

On March 26^th, Emergency Management BC in consultation with other government ministries and the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) released a list of Essential Services in BC. As well, the Public Safety and Solicitor General in consultation with the PHO defined the list of non-health essential service providers in BC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These guidelines are established by Provincial Government Ministries and directed to Municipalities, individual Employers and Unions as mandated.

Please remember that it is everyone’s responsibility to enforce Social Distancing to those not adhering, that includes Management. We should all be working together to get through this as best as we possibly can. For further questions regarding refusal to unsafe work, please visit www.cupe374.ca for the bulletin released last week with the guidelines.

The Union has summarized the information into the 2 categories in this April 2nd Fact Sheet  that affects our members within Local 374.

Stay positive, safe and healthy!

In Solidarity,

Shireen Clark

President, CUPE Local 374

I just wanted to put out a note for ALL employees and employers.

As we face this uncertain time in our lives and workplace, I feel the need to respond to the many inquiries that are coming my way.

Firstly, the union is 100% working in conjunction with our employers, to deal with this fluid situation that is ever changing by the hour.

We are certainly in this together, I need to emphasize at times like these our daily coping mechanisms are being put to the test. We are fortunate enough to be able to still come to work (social-distancing etc.) and provide an essential service for our community and also each other.

Normal daily tasks may change for the time being, but let’s not look at this as anything more than the opportunity to stay working.

There is no “rule book” or past practice for what we are experiencing right now.

If you find yourself in a new “workspace” alongside someone you normally don’t work with, take the time to say “Hi” and “how are you doing?” It truly is the little things that will help us when we might most need it.

I have always said, regardless of “union” or “management” we are ALL employees of the Town of Sidney!

Management and the Union are working crazy hours behind the scenes, in order to provide the best outcome, we can for ALL of the employees.

As direction filters down; Federal, Provincial, and Local governments are doing everything within their powers to keep us working.

Please think of all of the “front line” workers that 1 month ago were never a thought in your daily routine!

We are ALL connected!

To our Leaders in the Town of Sidney and the EOC, a sincere THANK-YOU!

To each of our municipal workers, a sincere Thank-you! Stay safe and HEALTHY! J

Ron Green

Sidney Vice President, CUPE Local 374

Dear Members,

As we head into the end of week 2 of COVID-19 Pandemic, we are hearing you and your concerns. There have been many questions about what is unsafe work. Attached is a Work Safe fact sheet on refusing the right to unsafe work.

Please remember the following when assessing if your situation is unsafe work:

Reasonable cause to believe: assess the situation as a reasonable person, exercising good faith judgment with respect to the hazard with due regard to the worker’s training and experience.

Reasonable cause to believe and the susceptible worker: the situation needs to be assessed to whether the worker has reasonable cause to believe the work presents an undue hazard is to be applied in the context of the person’s specific health condition. There needs to be a clear connection between the undue hazard asserted by the susceptible worker, and his or her health condition

Factors that may be considered in the COVID-19 context include:

• the state of the COVID-19 containment situation in the worker’s particular city, region, province and workplace at the time the refusal to work is being exercised
• the age and health of the specific worker
• the type of workplace and type of work
• the duties or tasks performed
• the number of workers at the workplace and whether or not social distancing is possible
• the measures adopted by the employer
• if the worker has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2
• whether the worker or the circumstances fall in one of the legislative exceptions to the right to refuse unsafe work

I hope this fact sheet helps answer some of the questions many of you have.

Stay safe and healthy.

IS,

Shireen Clark

President, CUPE Local 374

March 26th WORKSAFE Q&A

Please click the March 23rd Bulletin for the latest bulletin on the COVID-19 Crisis from your Local.