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Source : Montreal Gazette Read here..Montreal Gazette

The technician died Thursday when he touched high-voltage wires with his aerial platform, the Unifor union said.

A Bell Canada technician died Thursday in St-Sauveur when he touched high-voltage wires with his aerial platform, the Unifor union said.

The accident happened on Résidences Rd. around 10 a.m., the Sûreté du Québec reported. Hydro-Québec cut the power in the sector so emergency services could intervene. The man was brought to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The coroner’s office and federal government were informed of the incident, an SQ spokesperson said.

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VANCOUVER—As British Columbia gears up to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to the general public, Unifor is urging the provincial government to follow Saskatchewan’s lead and give workers paid time off to receive the vaccine.

“It’s a no-brainer if you want to maximize vaccinations and minimize disruption to British Columbians, workers need paid time off to be vaccinated,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “No worker should choose between the vaccine and their pay cheque.”

Provincially mandated paid time off for vaccination would require legislation, and it’s something Unifor is demanding alongside a permanent provincial paid sick leave policy.

“There’s an urgent need to align workplace policy and public health policy,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. “The pandemic has taught us a cruel lesson: sick workers should be able to stay home and isolate or recover as needed without financial penalty.”

Unifor is asking the government to seek unanimous consent in the legislature to table emergency legislation for paid vaccination leave.

“Comprehensive vaccination is not something we can leave to a casual ‘after hours and weekends’ strategy as some businesses are already suggesting,” added McGarrigle. “We need as many people vaccinated as soon as possible to return to normalcy in B.C.—and that’s good for business too.”

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

Unifor’s Research Department is constantly updating its factsheets on income supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Get the most up-to-date information here. https://www.unifor.org/node/18422?v=income-supports

Unifor has developed a number of fact sheets to help workers navigate the many new federal government programs to help Canadian struggling during the pandemic. Below you will find fact sheets on how Employment Insurance and new income programs apply to workers in various circumstances, from full-time workers to gig and seasonal workers.

These programs are being updated regularly, and Unifor is monitoring all these changes to keep these fact sheets up to date, so check back regularly.

Unifor FAQs: Income Assistance, Wage Subsidies, and Other Benefits

• FAQ for Full-Time Workers Read the FAQ
• FAQ for Part-Time Workers Read the FAQ
• FAQ for  Independent Contractors, Freelancers and other Self-Employed Workers Read the FAQ
• FAQ for Gig Economy Workers Read the FAQ
• FAQ for Seasonal Workers Read the FAQ
• Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) Read the FAQ.
• What happens after CERB? Read the FAQ.
• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Read the FAQ.
• Applying for employment insurance: a how-to guide for Unifor members Read the guide.
• E.I. Work Sharing Get the Factsheet
• COVID-19 and Pensions Download the FAQ
• COVID-19 Checklist for income replacement (March 15, 2020) Download the income replacement checklist
• Leaves relevant to COVID-19 Download the chart