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Letter from Ron Hori, newly elected Associates Bargaining Representative:

 

“The first leg of this journey is now complete. The Ontario Associates of Bell Technical Solutions have at long last joined their counterparts in Quebec and technicians in both provinces, and are members of their union – Unifor. The inequities that we have endured here have gone on for too many years.

Very special thanks go to the collaborative work from Unifor members, especially Danny McBride – Organizing Representative, Sean Howes – National Representative, and Sam Snyders – Ontario Bargaining Representative, President of Local 1996-O, and many other titles. These three gentlemen were the anchor in getting us to victory with their ideas, support, persistence and positive attitudes.

My thanks go to the BTS Associates who have elected me (and Justin Wiggins) to represent them at the bargaining table. Justin and I will be reviewing the proposals that have been sent in and those discussed at the August 9th meeting.

The next chapter is the bargaining process. With Sam Snyders as Chair, Justin and I are confident in achieving the best possible and fair collective agreement for the members.”

~ Ron Hori

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What is your health and safety worth? Apparently less than $6!

 

In the past, your Workplace Health and Safety Committee has carried spare safety glasses to handout when they found missing, damaged or scratched safety glasses. Recently they were denied an order of 48 glasses. The glasses vary in cost depending on the style from $2 to $6 dollars.  Yes, that’s under $288 dollars for the high end style.

Why would a company like Bell Canada shortchange the safety of its employees? Ok, that could be a rhetorical question.

To anyone who thinks eye protection may not be a crucial component of PPE in the workplace, think again. Nearly three out of five injured workers were not wearing eye protection at the time of the accident or were wearing the wrong kind of eye protection for the job. Eye injuries alone cost more than $300 million per year in lost production time, medical expenses and worker compensation.

The majority of workplace eye injuries are caused by small particles or objects (such as metal slivers, wood chips or dust) striking or abrading the eye. Injured workers said that nearly three-fifths of the objects were smaller than a pinhead. Injuries can also occur when nails, staples or metal penetrate the eyeball, which can result in a permanent loss of vision. Blunt force traumas caused by objects striking the eyes or face or from a worker running into an object are another threat, as are chemical burns from splashes of industrial chemicals or cleaning products.

The role of comfort in eye protection cannot be underestimated. Research has shown that comfort as well as style helps drive compliance with PPE-wearing protocols. PPE that allows workers to express their individuality also leads to greater compliance. Providing a range of options in terms of color and other style aspects gives workers some control over how they look. When people are content with their appearance in the PPE, it follows that they will be more likely to wear the PPE appropriately. And PPE that is perceived as “cool” is more likely to be worn.

Employees also must take care of protective eyewear to avoid scratches.  Scratched and dirty devices reduce vision, cause glare and may contribute to accidents. Glasses that are scratched or pitted should be discarded and replaced immediately.

An on-the-job eye injury can cause lasting and permanent vision damage, potentially disabling a worker for life. Even “minor” eye injuries can cause long-term vision problems and suffering, such as recurrent and painful corneal erosion from a simple scratch from sawdust, cement or drywall.

An estimated 90 percent of eye injuries can be prevented through the use of proper protective eyewear!

With a statistic as compelling as this, it makes both common and economic sense to do everything possible to make sure workers have the right PPE to protect their eyes on the job.

Every employer should make it a safety priority for its workers to operate with clear vision in their workplace and surroundings.

Your Local and the 416 WHSC committee will be pursuing this issue.

If you have damaged or scratched safety glasses ask your manager to replace them.  When lenses are scratched, vision becomes impaired and eyes are strained. When glasses are damaged, they may lose their ability to protect as they were designed to, and they are a safety hazard.

In Solidarity

Sam Snyders

 

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To The Iron Men of our union – Thank you!

Thanks Unifor

Dear Lee & Sam, 

 
To The Iron Men of our union – Thank you! 
 
Thank you very much for the immense help and support that you gave me, your efforts to assist me in resolving my issue and most importantly, getting me back my job.
 
Words alone cannot express the amount of gratitude I feel for you gentlemen.
The support the union provides us as employees is invaluable so please know that if there is a time when you gentlemen need help, I would be more than happy to voluntarily assist. 
 
Best Regards, 
Waseem Salem
Bell Technical Solutions

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Unifor Bites Back!

 

When an employee was wrongfully dismissed, it took the combined pressure of NDP MP Andrew Cash, Unifor Local 1996-O President Sam Snyders and some tough questions from a Toronto Star reporter to correct the injustice.

As an applicant to the Canadian Immigration & Citizenship Visa Extension Process, the Bell Technical Solutions worker had provided all required documentation and was awaiting review. While this process can take over a 100 days, a worker can continue to legally work with what is known as an implied status of eligibility, during that time.

Yet the company, BTS, terminated the worker alleging that he didn’t meet requirements to legally work in Canada, which was patently false. Although the union provided numerous routes to confirm the worker’s legal status with the Citizen and Immigration Canada, the company stated it was “not their job” to call and confirm but instead required written documentation – documentation that the CIC does not currently provide to mail-in applicants.

“When a worker follows the rules at every step of the way it is wrong and completely unfair that a government department would be unwilling to send a simple email confirming the facts,” – NDP Member of Parliament, Andrew Cash.

The Toronto Star began looking into the case after speaking with the worker, Unifor and Andrew Cash. BTS then changed their tune and promised to re-instate the worker with full back pay for the time he was unfairly dismissed.

The disappointing fact remains…it required action from Unifor, the media and a Member of Parliament to convince a national employer like Bell Canada to reverse their decision to unfairly dismiss a worker.

“For this worker justice prevailed, I worry for others who don’t have the strength of a union to help them,” – Unifor Local 1996-O President, Sam Snyders.