June 3, 2024

 

OTTAWA – Unifor welcomes the passing of the third reading of the federal pharmacare bill, bringing Canada one step closer to making universal pharmacare a reality.

“We are glad to see the pharmacare plan come to fruition as so many Canadians are in need of it,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “With this bill, we are paving the way for a health care system where no Canadian has to worry about affording their medications. ”

In February, the Liberal/NDP pharmacare plan was introduced, outlining coverage for essential medications, including contraception and diabetes-related prescriptions and equipment. The bill aims to address the gaps in Canada’s health care system, ensuring comprehensive access to necessary medications for all Canadians.

“This plan is especially significant for women, who often face greater barriers to accessing health care,” said Payne. “By including contraception and other vital medications, we are taking a critical step towards achieving gender equity in health care. This is not just about medication; it’s about justice and fairness for all.”

Unifor has called on the federal and provincial governments to work together to make much needed medications available across the country and for the provinces of Alberta and Quebec to commit to dedicating any federal funds received towards pharmacare.

Unifor has been at the forefront of advocating for universal pharmacare, leading initiatives like the Pharmacare Now campaign. Additionally, the union’s Reproductive Justice Now campaign continues to push for expanded access to sexual and reproductive health care services.

Unifor remains dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians through continuous advocacy and collaboration with coalition partners and labour unions.

June 5, 2024

 

Holding placards that read, “Bus or plane, Unifor scope is still the same,” more than 50 Unifor members and supporting unions and aviation organizations rallied at Pearson International Airport on June 5 to protect their scope work after Air Canada recently hired a bus company to shuttle passengers to different airports.

“Collective agreements exist to draw a clear line on which work belongs to our members,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Air Canada needs to respect the skilled and experienced work Unifor members do for them each day and keep scope work strictly within the bargaining unit.”

On May 1, Air Canada began a new bus service to bridge nearby Southern Ontario airports. Landline, the contracted company, shuttles passengers between Hamilton and Kitchener airports to Pearson.

The issue, said Unifor Airlines Director Sandi McManus, is processing the passengers is considered scope work that should be performed by Unifor members at Local 2002 and their collective agreement has strong scope language protecting their duties, which Air Canada should respect and immediately give back to the members.

“This will set a negative precedent, as we believe this is our scope work, and we should be doing it, whether Air Canada says it’s for a trial period or not,” said McManus. “We want the employer to use our Unifor members to do the work and our members are proud and eager to perform the additional work.”

The union has filed two grievances with Air Canada, as a result.

The scope work includes check-in, issuing baggage tags, verifying travel documents, seat selection, processing, and re-booking customers, and on arrival, meeting the bus and assisting customers, including providing directions and connecting flight information.

Unifor members also provide mobility assistance, including to the visually impaired.

Currently, the details of the contract between Air Canada and Landline are unknown. The Landline buses involved have 36 seats on board.

“Air Canada has told us bookings are averaging 6% and probably will not last the summer, but the company is missing the point,” said Unifor Local 2002 President Tammy Moore.

“This is our members’ scope work, and we must defend it. The fact that they are not using us even at the Toronto Pearson location is completely unacceptable.”

See photos of the rally

Media Contact

Wednesday, June, 19, 2024

7:30pm – 9:00pm

Unifor Local 112

30 Tangiers Road, Toronto, ON, M3J 2B2

Local meeting attendance has been low as of late, members had raised the following weekday suggested meeting as follows on a trial basis.

Greetings!

Please note that the deadline to apply for a Unifor Scholarship is fast approaching! Each year Unifor awards 28 scholarships of $2,000 to children of Unifor members and a Unifor member entering their first year of post-secondary studies. More information about this popular program including details on how to apply can be found here.

THE APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSES ON FRIDAY JUNE 14, 2024.

Health & Safety Issues: Heat Stress

Unifor Heat Stress Fact Sheet – 2024 – Short

Unifor Heat Stress Fact Sheet- 2024 – Detailed

The text from the brief version of the Heat Stress Fact Sheet is below. Both the brief and detailed versions of the fact sheet are available to download at the links above. Click here to read the detailed version online.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUES: HEAT STRESS

The hot summer weather has finally arrived. Our summer temperatures vary across the country, but in most areas, heatwaves and hot spells can really create a temporary heat-related hazard in our workplaces. This hazard can become so severe that it can become a matter of life and death.

Here is brief primer on some of the key points to remember when dealing with this serious workplace hazard.

WHAT IS HEAT STRESS?

Heat stress is an environmental and occupational hazard, resulting from physical activity in hot or humid environments capturing a spectrum of heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, which can lead to death.

Just like you can’t let a car engine overheat or it shuts down, you don’t want your body to get too hot. Working in the heat puts stress on our body’s cooling system. High temperatures and high humidity, stress the body’s ability to cool itself and heat illness can become a deadly concern.

WHAT AFFECTS HEAT STRESS?

There are four environmental factors that affect the amount of stress a worker faces in a hot work environment:

• temperature
• humidity
• radiant heat (such as from the sun or a furnace) and
• air velocity.

THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE AND HEAT STRESS

We do not have to wait for certainty before we take reasonable steps to reduce heat stress risk. We need to “feel safe” and if we do not feel safe we must take the necessary steps to create changes in the workplace to address the causes of health and safety insecurity. Your JH&SC should have heat stress on their agenda long before the heat arrives and employers are responsible to ensure a healthy and safe work environment exists.

 

In other words, we do not need to be certain that we are correct when we take action to protect ourselves when dealing with an occupational hazard such as heat stress.

ACCLIMITIZATION

Acclimatization is the result of beneficial physiological adaptations (such as increased sweating efficiency) that occur after gradual increased exposure to a hot environment. This process of building tolerance is called heat acclimatization. Not being used to working in the heat can be a major problem. Many workers who die from heat stroke are often in their first few days on the job or were working during a heat wave. If you haven’t worked in hot weather for a week or more, your body needs time to adjust. You will need to take more breaks and not do too much strenuous work during your first weeks on the job.

FIRST AID

• Treat a worker suffering from heat exhaustion by: Stopping activity
• Moving the person out of the heat and into a shady or air-conditioned place
• Laying the person down and elevating the legs and feet slightly
• Removing tight or heavy clothing

Having the person drink cool water or other non-alcoholic beverage without caffeine Cooling the worker with cold compresses or have the worker wash head, face, armpits, and neck with cold water

Seeking medical treatment

Call 911 or your local emergency number if the person’s condition deteriorates, especially if the worker experiences:

• Fainting Agitation Confusion
• Seizures Inability to drink
• A core body temperature of 40 C (104 F) (heatstroke)

EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES

Employers have a legal duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of workers. This includes developing policies and procedures to protect workers in hot environments due to hot processes or hot weather (or both). Employers must provide training to workers so they understand what heat stress is, how it affects their health and safety, and how it can be prevented

WARNING- PPE MAY INCREASE EFFECTS OF HEAT STRESS!

When combined with other physiological problems, it is vitally important that employers take the wearing of PPE into consideration when formulating a heat stress plan. Some strategies for PPE use during hot weather include keeping PPE as cold as possible (through refrigeration) before being worn, as well as using other engineering or administrative controls. Ideas to mitigate the heat hazard include, portable canopies or pop up tents to create shade, portable fans, additional cool water availability, ice shirts, neck coolers, bandannas, hats, sunscreen and cooling stations.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure causes non-melanoma skin cancers. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation due to sun exposure is one of the most common causes of work-related skin cancers. When working outdoors, shade structures (portable canopies or pop-up tents) are better than enforcing PPE on workers when possible.

REFUSING UNSAFE WORK

IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY, OR UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO WHEN ENCOUNTERING AN UNCONTROLLED HAZARD, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS TO KNOW ABOUT HAZARDS, TO PARTICIPATE BY RAISING CONCERNS AND BY EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT TO REFUSE UNSAFE WORK!