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.
2024 Unifor Scholarship Program Reminder – deadline June 14, 2024
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
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!
Unifor urges Senate to pass anti-scab bill and government to implement it without delay
OTTAWA—Unifor applauds Members of Parliament for unanimously passing the amended Bill C-58, otherwise known as anti-scab legislation, today, but now urges the Senate to approve so the law can be implemented as soon as possible.
“This legislation is about protecting the right to fair and free collective bargaining, including the right to strike,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Workers have fought for generations to get to this day, but there is still a final step.”
“C-58 modernizes Canada’s labour relations system to reflect the current social and economic context of this country, where increased corporate power and wealth requires an effective counter-balance. We call on the Senate to pass C-58 as soon as possible and put it to work without delay,” Payne added.
Bill C-58: An Act To Amend The Canada Labour Code would restrict federally-regulated employers, including airlines, banks, and telecom companies from using scab labour during strikes or lock-outs or face fines of $100,000 a day.
Unifor has long been advocating for anti-scab legislation in every jurisdiction across Canada in hopes every worker’s Constitutional right to free and fair collective bargaining will be upheld. Federally, Bill C-58 will reduce the frequency and duration of labour disputes, restore balance in collective bargaining and create safer and less acrimonious picket lines.
It passed second reading in the House of Commons with all-party support on Feb. 27, 2024.
Quebec and British Columbia both have provincial anti-scab legislation to prevent employers from undermining the entire collective bargaining process.
Learn more about Unifor’s Anti-Scab campaign here and show your support by sharing this graphic on your social media networks.
Shame on Bell…contact the board have your voice heard
Shame on Bell.
Established 144 years ago, Bell has evolved into Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE Inc.), commanding the helm as Canada’s leading communications conglomerate. Now the company has been tarnished by the irresponsible and callous decisions by the Bell Board of Directors.
BCE’s systematic reduction of telecommunication jobs, outsourcing practices, offshoring endeavors, and the relentless downsizing of TV and radio newsrooms across the nation have cast a shadow over its legacy. Meanwhile, payouts to shareholders and executive board members have soared, exacerbating the growing chasm between corporate wealth and worker stability.
In a stunning blow to its workforce, February 2024 saw Bell axing an additional 4,800 jobs – a staggering 9% of its employees. More than 800 Unifor members, comprising 700 in telecommunications and more than 100 in media, found themselves abruptly terminated, casualties of a corporate ethos that prioritizes shareholder dividends over employee livelihoods.
Bell is a communications company with no moral fibre. While BCE points fingers at governmental policies, it cannot escape accountability for its actions.
Bell, Canadians demand that you:
- Cease contracting and offshoring work, prioritize local employment and support Canadian workers.Bell must halt the practice of outsourcing jobs to foreign countries and prioritize employing Canadians. Offshoring work not only diminishes local job opportunities but also undermines the quality of service provided to Canadian customers. By investing in local jobs, Bell can contribute to the growth and prosperity of communities across the nation.
- Stop slashing newsrooms and invest in local journalism to ensure accessible and diverse coverage for communities.The continuous reduction of TV and radio newsrooms across Canada limits the diversity and depth of news coverage available to citizens. Bell must cease the downsizing of newsrooms and instead commit to bolstering local journalism. Investing in newsrooms ensures that communities receive comprehensive and unbiased reporting, vital for informed civic engagement and democracy.
- Reduce dividend payouts to prioritize reinvestment in employee well-being, job security, and infrastructure development.Excessive dividend payouts to shareholders and executive board members come at the expense of workers’ well-being and job security. Bell should reconsider its dividend policies and allocate a larger portion of profits towards employee benefits, training programs, and infrastructure improvements. Prioritizing reinvestment in its workforce and infrastructure ensures the long-term sustainability and success of the company.
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