Easter Message

Hello all,

Thank you to all CUPE PEI members for their hard work and dedication during this COVID-19 pandemic. Here at CUPE PEI, we have been working on several things over this past week. This week, we recorded a radio ad that everyone should start hearing shortly thanking all CUPE members and all essential workers for their work during this difficult time. We are also currently putting together a COVID-19 webpage for information for membership during this time and it should be ready very soon. More details on that to come.

The National Executive Board continues to have weekly phone conference calls to deal with issues. They have waived all CUPE National initiation fees (one-time fee for new members or any members that were not in good standing) until December 31, 2020.The National Presidents office is giving Locals some extended time to arrange how Local business will continue, if you need clarity or if you have any questions please contact your servicing representative.

The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit applications started this week, and applicants should shortly start to see those payments. CUPE National is working with the Federal government to ensure the benefits applies to more workers, including seasonal workers and students who have been unable to secure employment due to the pandemic. Please remember that this benefit will be included in taxable income for the year 2020.

The Chief Health Office has begun to increase the amount of testing for COVID-19. We are hearing from them that we need to continue the self isolating and social distancing. We are doing good, but we are not done with COVID-19 yet.

CUPE PEI is planning the when and where our AGM will take place we will have more information on this next week. We are sure this past month has reminded everyone just how important public services are and, as people, we sometimes take these services for granted. Lets ensure we all take some time this Easter Weekend to thank the people providing services to us and those who are in need during these difficult times.

Happy Easter, Stay Safe

Leonard Gallant

Letter to CUPE members on the Island

Good Afternoon

This is unprecedented times as everyone is saying but it truly is uncharted waters as we have never seen before. CUPE PEI want to assure you that we have been working with all levels of Government to help navigate us through this difficult time. The Provincial Government has been doing a good job keeping up with the ongoing changes as directed by the Chief Health Officer.

The National Executive Board is meeting via Conference Call on a regular basis, we have been discussing discussion what to do as a National union and through those discussions Mark and Charles have been taking our direction.

We have talked to a number of Provincial Ministers and those were very good discussions around front line workers and the great work they are doing as well as the importance that our members be afforded the proper PPE to ensure their safety in the workplace.

We also have been having discussions abut ensuring that our members, as well as public servants, will continue to be at work and not face lay offs. Minister MacKay committed to CUPE PEI that this Government had no plans of laying off public servants and were also encouraging private sector employers to keep as many staff on the payroll as possible.

We want to ensure members that CUPE PEI is here for them and we will continue to work to ensure that this pandemic has as little impact on our members as possible. CUPE PEI will now be having weekly conference calls to deal with any issues that may arise and need to be dealt with. We will continue giving daily updates as much as possible from the Chief Health Officer and any other information that we receive.

We will get through this we have to continue social distancing and self isolating where directed. Please remember to reach out to family, friends, neighbours who may just want to have a conversation to know they are not forgotten. My cell number is 902 315 0525 please feel free to call if you need my assistance or if you have suggestions on things you would like us to do as a Union. Stay Safe.

In Solidarity,

Leonard Gallant
President
CUPE PEI

PPE Use and Care

Personal protective equipment (PPE) exists to create a barrier between you and a patient/resident/client to prevent spread of a contaminant such as the virus that
causes COVID-19 to either you or the patient. It exists to help protect your skin, airways, mucous membranes, and/or clothing. This fact sheet summarizes use and care of gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection. PDF: PPE Use and Care

Member Update: COVID-19 – March 27

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you to all locals and members for your extraordinary work during this unprecedented time. Members are doing important work across both provinces in our region during the COVID-19 pandemic. We always appreciate and value everything that you do, especially during this crisis.

Members Contracting COVID-19
Currently, we have no reports of CUPE members in our region contracting COVID-19. In order to help everyone stay safe, we would like to track our members who contract COVID-19 and would appreciate that you forward this information to us as you receive it.  Basic information is required: local number, occupation of the member and information if this was a workplace transmission. For obvious privacy concerns, we are not asking for the names of the individuals.
If you have been laid off due to COVID-19, please notify your local’s executive.

Provincial COVID-19 Information Websites
New Brunswick: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/ocmoh/cdc/content/respiratory_diseases/coronavirus.html
Prince Edward Island: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/topic/covid-19

PEI & NB Emergency Child Care Services
Emergency childcare services are reserved for children of essential service workers who have no other alternatives. Please complete the form linked below only if you require childcare services during this time and are an essential service worker.
PEI: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/service/emergency-child-care-services
NB: https://www.nbed.nb.ca/parentportal/en/

EI Benefits

Federal government announced laid-off workers who have applied for EI due to coronavirus-related job losses should be eligible for a $2,000 benefit for up to four months. After this period, they will be switched over to standard EI if they are still out of work.  To apply for EI benefits, you can do it online: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness/apply.html

Afterwards, you can apply to have the one-week waiting period waived by calling the government’s toll-free number at 1-833-381-2725. Applicants usually need a medical certificate along with records of employment, though the new rules allow quarantined workers to apply without the former.  We have also included below the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Q & A: https://cupe.ca/canada-emergency-response-benefit-qa

State of Emergency in NB, PEI and the rest of Canada
State of emergency laws mean many closures and restrictions are now required to be followed by law. There are still too many people not abiding by the restrictions and recommendations from chief medical officer of health. All non-essential retail businesses must cease all operations immediately. Gatherings of 10 or more people are now not permitted.

CUPE Taskforce on Virtual Work and Member Registration
Virtual tools and phone work permit us to coordinate and carry out our union duties. Thus, we set up a CUPE Maritimes staff taskforce to find the best tools and actions to take on those challenges we face. Our goal is to get information and power to you, but we need your help. Every CUPE member must register so that we can have emergency communication lines and electronic voting capacity. Please consult your union emails or your executive for registration info.

Mass member registration is necessary to build lists for all locals. The provisions to engage in social distancing (i.e. staying home as much as possible, keeping 2m apart when you have to go out) could remain in force for many more weeks and possibly longer. All locals must gain the ability to conduct virtual meetings, ratification votes, sharing of meeting minutes, etc. Personal cellphone numbers (not work cellphones) are needed to ensure mass member emergency texting.

Postponement of AGMs
As social distancing rules and gathering restrictions remain at this point, no large union gatherings or AGMs can be held. Below are the cancellations that we have confirmed:

  • CUPE New Brunswick Convention
  • New Brunswick Community Services Unions Annual General Meeting
  • CUPE Local 1252 Convention
  • CUPE Local 1253 Convention
  • CUPE Local 1418 Convention
  • CUPE 1190 Annual General Meeting
  • CUPE Local 2745 Convention and July Education Sessions

Please send us your intent to cancel your AGMs and we will add them to our list.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Servicing Representative or myself.

In Solidarity,

Sandy Harding
Maritimes Regional Director

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CUPE Negotiations paused in NB and PEI

Charlottetown (PEI) & Fredericton (NB), March 18, 2020 In order to focus all resources to fight the COVID-19 crisis, CUPE is halting bargaining for all CUPE locals in both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

“Collective agreement bargaining meetings, membership meeting, ratification and strike votes will all be postponed until April 3, 2020, in both provinces,” said Simon Ouellette, CUPE Communications Representative for NB and PEI.

CUPE will reassess the situation and send information to members on April 4, 2020.

“We hope government will want to resume collective agreement negotiations when the situation is firmly under control,” said Ouellette.

CUPE takes the precautions required by the authorities seriously.

“We will act proactively to protect the health and safety of workers and the public,” concluded Ouellette.

Message From our National President

Sisters, Brothers and Friends:

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, with public health agencies providing updates and new guidelines and restrictions almost daily. All regions are now recommending social distancing measures, including restricting public gatherings.

CUPE locals, councils, and divisions should follow directives from the public health authorities in their region.

These recommended measures will impact our regular activities, and in most cases will require locals to postpone or alter meetings.

In these extraordinary times it is important to maintain good governance, accountability and transparency. With this in mind, I am providing the following guidelines to help address questions of compliance with local bylaws and CUPE’s National Constitution.

Teleconferencing and Video Conferencing

If necessary, where feasible, and until further notice, meetings may be conducted electronically via conference calls, telephone town halls or videoconferencing. We advise locals to explore available electronic meeting platforms.

Electronic Voting

Where adopting motions to conduct the regular business of the union, such as for decisions of the executive board or executive committee, voting can be done via email.

Where voting must be secret, such as ratifications or job action mandates, and where votes cannot be delayed, locals can explore the possibility of using a secure and reliable electronic voting platform. Remember that some votes are also governed by labour legislation.

Nominations and Elections

Wherever possible, local elections should occur within the same timeframe as laid out in local bylaws. Nominations that might normally occur at a membership meeting can be done by email, and elections can be conducted electronically using a secure platform.

If maintaining the existing timeframe is not feasible, the elections process can be delayed by up to one month.

Postponing Meetings

Where it is not possible to hold a meeting and remote solutions are not feasible, local meetings may be postponed for a period of one month. Applicable timelines in the bylaws will be extended accordingly. We will be monitoring the situation across the country and will provide updates on this timeline if necessary.

Opportunities

While there are many other issues facing our union right now, we encourage you to consider the challenges you might be having communicating with your members outside of the workplace. Consider using this opportunity to collect and compile personal contact information for your members. This may also be a good time to review your local’s decision making and election processes and note possible future bylaw changes.

Other Issues and Exemptions

Bylaws vary widely from one local to the next, and these guidelines will not address every variable. For issues not contemplated here, for questions related to council and division meetings and conventions, or to discuss possible additional exemptions, please contact your National Representative.

In solidarity,

MARK HANCOCK
National President

Facts on Covid – 19

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is caused by a virus from the same family as the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronavirus. According to Health Canada, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that can cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.

Those who are infected with COVID-19 may have little to no symptoms. You may not know you have symptoms of COVID-19 because they are similar to a cold or flu.

Symptoms may include:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Pneumonia in both lungs

Transmission

Though it has been determined that the virus can spread from person to person, how exactly the virus is transmitted remains unclear. There continues to be a debate over whether or not COVID-19 transmission is “airborne”. However, it is the position of CUPE that in the absence of a definitive proof, a conclusion that COVID-19 is “not airborne” is not appropriate and the precautionary principle should apply.

For CUPE members that are working with infected (or potentially infected people), we recommend the use of a fit-tested N95 mask and eye protection like a face shield. This includes front-line health care workers, acute care providers, paramedics, and flight attendants who deal with symptomatic passengers, just to name a few. Additional precautions should be implemented for health care workers doing patient care that requires aerosol generating procedures (such as intubation, airway suction etc.), which require higher levels of protection.

What we learned from SARS – follow the “precautionary principle”

In the aftermath of the SARS outbreak, Ontario established a commission to look at the introduction and spread of SARS.  In its final report, Commissioner Justice Archie Campbell wrote that “we cannot wait for scientific certainty before we take reasonable steps to reduce risk”.

Campbell’s report identified the precautionary principle as an approach for protecting workers in circumstances of scientific uncertainty. This reflects the need to take prudent action in the face of potentially serious viruses without having to wait for complete scientific proof that a course of action is necessary. This means that unless we know with certainty that the virus is not spread through the air, we must conduct ourselves as if it were.

Common practices still hold

To help reduce the likelihood of becoming infected by any viral infection, common practices still hold:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Practice physical distancing where possible.

Occupational safety

When new viruses are identified, employers, in consultation with their health and safety committees or worker representatives, should follow an appropriate hazard-assessment methodology that looks at the virus and considers if existing controls are appropriate. The goal of a prevention plan must be to eliminate exposure to the infectious virus as much as possible. The selection of controls should be guided by a hierarchy of controls and include both engineering and administrative controls. More information is provided in the general COVID guideline (found below).

Note: The use of surgical-type masks does not provide adequate protection from viral exposure. N95 respirators usually grant minimal protection. All workers who are fit-tested with N95 respirators must carry identification indicating the type and size of their respirator. Additionally, workers need to receive training on all aspects of personal protective equipment (putting on, wearing, removal, disposal, etc.).

What’s next?

CUPE will continue to monitor and advise our members when there are any significant changes. Please review the document below for additional information and check back frequently for updates.

Employment Opportunity

 Administrative/Financial Assistant

Temporary Position

Date of Posting:  February 24, 2020

The PEI Federation of Labour is seeking applications from qualified individuals to provide administrative/financial support to its organization. This is a temporary position with a tentative start date of March16th until August 30th 2020 with the possibility of extension.  The successful applicant will be a member of CUPE Local 1770-7.

Duties:

To provide general secretarial support including telephone/reception inquires; typing, data entry; open and sort mail; make travel arrangements; maintain up-to-date lists and records; organize meetings and events, educational sessions, and Annual Convention. Financial support includes administer of accounts, review invoices and issue payments, assist Treasurer in annual budget preparation and payroll. Other duties as assigned by President.

Qualifications:

Grade 12 graduate plus successful completion of a recognized secondary program in related field required, or a combination of related educational and experience; working knowledge and experience in computers and computer systems; WordPerfect and Microsoft software, Simply Accounting, email programs, internet and ability to post to and update Facebook page. The applicant will be well organized, work well with others, and possess strong oral and written communication skills and also work well alone.  Must be detail oriented and meet regular deadlines.  Background knowledge of the labour movement would be considered an asset.

Hours of Work:        30 hours/week (9 am – 12 noon & 1 – 4 pm) Monday to Friday

Salary:                        $18.00/hr (as per Collective Agreement)

Closing Date:            March 03, 2020

Please submit a letter of application and resume with references by March 03, 2020 to the PEI Federation of Labour, 326 Patterson Drive, Charlottetown, PE C1A 8K4 or by email at peifed@pei.aibn.com

We thank all applicants for their interest.  Only those selected for interview will be contacted.