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Revera to cut long-term care jobs at Hallowell House during pandemic

PICTON —Revera plans to cut long-term care jobs at Hallowell House in Picton, Ontario during the fourth wave of COVID-19.

“Clearly Revera has learned nothing during this pandemic,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “Revera is determined to maintain skeleton staff levels to care for residents as it continues its profit over people business model.”

The union was notified weeks ago that new schedules would be implemented that reduced the number of full-time PSW’s and RPN’s. The announced staff reduction comes following a provincial mandate to reduce occupancy in wardrooms from four to two, resulting in a reduction in the total number of residents.

The union has countered with solutions to avoid layoffs but the employer has yet to officially respond, though they have delayed the reductions for four weeks past the August 27th implementation plan.

“All long-term care facilities are currently experiencing severe staff shortages,” said Unifor Local 8300 President Kathleen Brooks. “Rather than improving care for residents and working conditions for employees Revera is using this new occupancy mandate, designed to provide better care for vulnerable seniors, as an opportunity to slash full-time jobs.”

This week Hallowell House workers began a daily information picket from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., braving extreme heat to notify the community of the impending job cuts. Katha Fortier, Assistant to the Unifor National President will join workers on the line today at 3 p.m. and is available for media interviews.

“The workers are fighting for residents and for themselves. The public and the families need to know these job cuts will mean less care for residents than they currently have,” said Brooks. “This is not the time for Revera to remove trained staff.”

“It’s a known fact that there is a shortage of trained long-term care workers combined with a severe retention issue but Revera is throwing these COVID-heroes to the curb so it can keep up payments to shareholders,” said Dias. “This illustrates the need for Ontario to accelerate the standard of four hours of daily care per resident scheduled to take effect by 2025 so that these for-profit homes will have to maintain proper staffing levels.”

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector and represents 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.

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Reconciliation and Racial Justice

The series of recent high profile police murders and assaults on Black, Indigenous and people of colour, along with anti-Islamic terrorism and the horrific confirmation of remains of Indigenous children in unmarked graves on former residential school grounds, have all added to renewed calls for real reconciliation and racial justice in Canada.

Further, the unequal effect of COVID-19 on Indigenous and racialized people is renewing demands for government action to address inequities in employment, housing, health care, criminal justice and income security. The rise of right-wing political nationalism across the globe has also resulted in a rise in violent hate crimes, online hate speech and organized extremist groups.

Unifor’s Vision

Unifor recognizes that economic justice is unachievable without real reconciliation and racial justice.

When the working-class divides along racial lines, this weakens worker power and the labour movement as a whole – all while benefiting the interests of employers and those with wealth and power. Racial justice requires all institutions and organizations to implement programs and policies that aim to eliminate systemic racism and discrimination and promote anti-racism and equity in our communities and workplaces. All workers must stand in solidarity with Indigenous people who continue to fight for rights to land, culture, traditional ways of life and self-determination.

Unifor calls on the next federal government to take concrete and meaningful action on reconciliation and racial justice. This includes:

  • Acting for truth and reconciliation by fully implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP);
  • Acting on the 231 calls for justice by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and two-spirited (MMIWG2S);
  • Fully implementing the 94 Calls to Action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015;
  • Taking immediate action within the first 100 days of Parliament to end the ongoing boil water advisories in all Indigenous communities and ensuring that all Indigenous communities have access to safe and clean drinking water;
  • Directing all federal ministries, agencies and commissions to collect race-based data and make disaggregated data available publicly;
  • Providing additional resources to support Canada’s Anti-Racism strategy and Anti-Racism Secretariat, while boosting funding to community groups and organizations doing direct anti-racism work in their communities;
  • Channelling resources and strengthen legislation and enforcement to reverse the rise of white supremacist groups, including the spread of online hate.

Background

  • Hate crimes against Black, Indigenous and people of colour in Canada increased by 37% in 2020, with the largest increases occurring in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.
  • A February 2021 report by the Auditor General found 43% of water systems in Indigenous communities still at medium-to-high risk of failing to provide clean water, if not already failing.
  • Racialized workers are 21% of Canada’s workforce, but are over-represented in many low-wage industries such as retail, grocery, warehousing and food manufacturing.
  • In 2020, the unemployment rate for Indigenous workers was 14.2%, compared to 9.4% for non-Indigenous workers.

Inequalities that harm Indigenous, Black and racialized people are made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Systemic racism and discrimination leads to inequities in employment, health, safety, income security and housing outcomes, resulting in lower quality of life and living standards.

As the virus spread and businesses were forced to shut down, Indigenous and racialized workers experienced higher rates of job loss. Those on the front lines, continuing to work in essential industries, such as health care, transportation, warehousing, logistics and retail, were more likely to contract the illness due to working in close quarters, frequent exposure to the public and less access to the proper personal protective equipment. Large urban centres, such as Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and their surrounding areas, saw infection rates 1.5 times higher in racialized communities versus non-racialized.

Due to gaps in government intervention and support, leaders in Black, Indigenous and racialized communities stepped up to play a pivotal role to break down barriers, prevent the virus’ spread and encourage vaccination. In fact, as of July, Indigenous adults recorded the highest rates of vaccination in the country, most notably among young to middle-aged adults.

Public health advocates decried the lack of race-based data at all levels of government, highlighting how the pandemic was disproportionately affecting Indigenous and racialized people. Notable efforts, including among federal data collectors as well as community leaders during the pandemic, certainly helped. However, the overall lack of race-based data makes it impossible to provide accurate quality-of-life assessments for racialized groups based on factors such as gender, class and immigration status.

The pandemic, and the economic downturn that followed, also brought with it an increase in racism and hate crimes – particularly against East Asian communities. Reports of both verbal and violent physical assaults became commonplace. Much of it spurred by increasing online hate speech and organized extremist groups.

In addition to the effects of the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in the U.S. in 2020 sparked global racial justice protests calling for greater action against policy brutality and institutionalized racism. This forced all organizations to examine if and how anti-racism and equity policies were effectively breaking down barriers to full social and economic participation.

The death of Joyce Echaquan revealed the terrifying truth of systemic racism in health care, and the country continues to reckon with its colonial past following the confirmation of thousands of unmarked graves on former residential school sites with human remains – mainly children.

This led to renewed calls across Canada by Indigenous communities and allies on the federal government to take meaningful action on Truth and Reconciliation by fully implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This includes improving the social and economic conditions of Indigenous Peoples and communities, such as ensuring the immediate funding necessary to build clean water infrastructure in communities that have been deprived of that infrastructure, respecting treaties and land rights, protecting Indigenous cultures and improving access to good employment opportunities for Indigenous workers and youth.

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Ontario to Require Proof of Vaccination in Select Settings

Source: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000779/ontario-to-require-proof-of-vaccination-in-select-settings

TORONTO — To further protect Ontarians as the province continues to confront the Delta-driven fourth wave of the COVID-19, the government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, will require people to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their vaccination status to access certain businesses and settings starting September 22, 2021. Requiring proof of vaccination in these settings reduces risk and is an important step to encourage every last eligible Ontarian to get their shot, which is critical to protecting the province’s hospital capacity, while also supporting businesses with the tools they need to keep customers safe, stay open and minimize disruptions.

“As the world continues its fight against the Delta variant, our government will never waver in our commitment to do what’s necessary to keep people safe, protect our hospitals and minimize disruptions to businesses,” said Premier Ford. “Based on the latest evidence and best advice, COVID-19 vaccine certificates give us the best chance to slow the spread of this virus while helping us to avoid further lockdowns. If you haven’t received your first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, please do so today.”

As of September 22, 2021, Ontarians will need to be fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) and provide their proof of vaccination along with photo ID to access certain public settings and facilities. This approach focuses on higher-risk indoor public settings where face coverings cannot always be worn and includes:

  • Restaurants and bars (excluding outdoor patios, as well as delivery and takeout);
  • Nightclubs (including outdoor areas of the establishment);
  • Meeting and event spaces, such as banquet halls and conference/convention centres;
  • Facilities used for sports and fitness activities and personal fitness training, such as gyms, fitness and recreational facilities with the exception of youth recreational sport;
  • Sporting events;
  • Casinos, bingo halls and gaming establishments;
  • Concerts, music festivals, theatres and cinemas;
  • Strip clubs, bathhouses and sex clubs;
  • Racing venues (e.g., horse racing).

Read the full article…click the source link at the top

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NEB Statement on Comprehensive Workplace Immunization Programs and Mandatory Vaccinations

August 2021

Despite significant progress made in Canada’s campaign to stop the spread of COVID-19 over recent months, including nearly three-quarters of eligible people being fully vaccinated, the country is staring down a fourth wave of the virus.

Sadly, this comes as little surprise. Epidemiologists the world over continue to warn that until vaccines reach a critical mass of people, globally, variants will spread – evolving into more highly transmissible and potentially deadlier strains.

In low-income countries across the Global South, just over one percent of people received a vaccine. Distribution challenges, in part due to restrictive intellectual property rules that benefit wealthy pharmaceutical firms, are to blame.  Meanwhile, in the Global North, quick re-starts to regional economies, despite modest vaccination levels, are resulting in case spikes (almost entirely among those not vaccinated), increased hospitalizations and the re-introduction of business restrictions.

Despite its promising start to vaccination, Canada is far from ending the COVID-19 crisis.  National case counts and death tolls continue to climb. Our union will never forget those members we have lost to this terrible virus – beautiful lives taken, and families left reeling. If, through our collective actions, we can prevent even one more tragedy from befalling a member of our union, then those actions will have been worth the effort.  A halfway approach to protecting public health and the health of working people is simply not good enough. More needs doing.

Higher vaccination rates needed for a sustained, resilient recovery

In May of this year, Unifor’s National Executive Board unanimously endorsed a statement entitled Vaccine Certificates and Considerations to Guide the Re-Opening of Canada’s Economy.

In that statement, the Board articulated its support for additional measures to ensure a safe and fair reopening of the economy. This included the introduction of proof of vaccination certifications, where appropriate, guided by science, in compliance with human rights statutes and governed within a national framework. Such certificate programs must also include strict pre-screening and diagnostic testing.  Unifor continues to support this position.

In this statement, the Board also identified “critical mass” vaccination as the union’s stated goal. Only through large-scale vaccination, can governments and employers move forward with reopening and return-to-work plans, while protecting public health. This is the guidance provided by leading public health officials both in Canada, and internationally. Unfortunately, Canada has not yet achieved this goal.

Helpful campaigns to encourage vaccinations, and eliminate barriers to access, in recent months appear to have run their course. Vaccination rates are plateauing. The risks to public health of future waves of this pandemic is too high. This includes risks to public-facing, front-line workers and those who, by necessity, work in close quarters and have a right to a healthy and safe workplace.

It is incumbent on governments to take the necessary steps to protect all people in Canada from further spread of the virus, including children and those who are immunocompromised, enabling us all to move forward into recovery. People in Canada have a responsibility, too, to protect one another.

Mandatory workplace vaccinations, one of many tools to keep workers safe

Organizations must utilize all of the tools at their disposal to stop the spread of COVID-19. For employers, this includes mandatory vaccination of workers, especially for those in public-facing or congregate work-settings where risk of transmission is high.  This also includes regular testing, pre-screening, greater availability of personal protective equipment, and other reasonable safety measures.

To be clear, the Board believes such requirements are necessary to protect the health and safety of workers. Unifor members have a right to be safe at work, and it is our union’s duty to uphold that right. This is of paramount importance to our union. Of course, any such mandate must accommodate for legitimate health exemptions, address personal privacy and data protection issues and uphold relevant human rights statutes – not unlike existing mandatory vaccine measures employed in Canada.

Across workplaces, employers must also ensure that any mandatory vaccine policies, advanced screening, testing and other measures have input from Unifor.  Our union expects employers to adhere to and uphold collective agreement language, where applicable, and collaborate with us on establishing appropriate processes as well as organizing mandatory information sessions for workers. Our union will continue working to ensure members have clearly defined safety protocols and sufficient access to PPE.

This pandemic will not be over for anyone until it is over for everyone.

Unifor commits to relentlessly championing progressive, practical, principled and science-based policies to get Canada through this pandemic and facilitate a safe return to work in the spirit of building a fair, resilient and inclusive economy.

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Bell Media cuts show need for level playing field

August 17, 2021

TORONTO – The layoffs being announced at Bell Media at its Queen Street location today, resulting in 27 jobs lost and another 22 jobs being reclassified, shows the need to level the playing field as foreign Internet broadcasters operate outside existing regulations.

“The tremendous financial pressure placed on Canadian broadcasters because of Internet giants getting a free ride in this country leads to these kinds of so-called efficiencies,” Unifor National President Jerry Dias said.

“We need legislation to stop this tremendous pressure. The previous Bill C-10 was aimed at leveling the playing field between Canadian broadcasters and behemoth foreign counterparts Netflix, Amazon and others.”

Bill C-10, which died on the order paper with the election call, would have given the CRTC the power to dedicate a stream of industry funding for local TV news with strict conditions to tie it to a headcount of journalists and media workers.

Unifor is calling on all parties in the current federal election to commit to making companies such as Netflix and Amazon to pay their fair share to ensure television and news content is created in Canada, just as Canadian broadcasters must do.

“These layoffs are a result of downsizing and tech change. We’re told no programming will be lost with these cuts, but there’s no way the quality of that programming can be the same and the pressure for more cuts will only continue until action is taken.”

Unifor continues to meet with Bell Media to mitigate the job loss and the impact on our members.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector and represents 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.