May 12, 2021
THUNDER BAY—After months of lobbying, Unifor members are relieved with today’s funding announcement by federal and provincial ministers, the Mayors of Toronto and Thunder Bay, and transit officials to purchase sixty additional streetcars and refurbish bi-level coaches that will secure jobs for Unifor Local 1075 members at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay.
“Today’s announcement is about securing jobs for the present but more importantly for the future,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, speaking at the virtual news conference, streamed live on Unifor’s Facebook page. “Sixty additional zero-emission streetcars is a real game changer for the facility in Thunder Bay. Today’s announcement is about vision, it’s about saying how we can do things when we put our collective minds together.”
Since 2018, Unifor has repeatedly raised concerns with public officials that hundreds of direct and many more indirect jobs were at risk at the Thunder Bay plant. As the plant moved from Bombardier to new overseas ownership by French rail manufacturer Alstom, the union ramped up its campaign to secure orders for transit vehicles beginning in 2020.
Today’s announcement provides much needed short-term sustainability for the plant. Funding commitments include a combined total of $568 million in federal, provincial and municipal funds to purchase 60 streetcars from Alstom Thunder Bay as well as expand storage facilities for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). In addition, discussions will continue with Metrolinx to refurbish additional GO bi-level coaches.
“These jobs are vital to our economy and our members have always delivered high-quality rail vehicles,” said Dominic Pasqualino, Unifor Local 1075 President. “Now our goal is to secure the plant’s long-term stability and increase capacity.”
Unifor will continue work with the company and public officials to help obtain additional work for the plant.
Unifor thanks nurses for always answering the call
Unifor recognises the dedication and achievements of nurses who contribute to excellence in health care and raise awareness of the issues and challenges of health care workers.
People in Canada and around the world celebrate Nursing Week each year during the week of Florence Nightingale’s birthday, May 12. The Canadian theme of Nursing Week 2021 is, “We answer the call.”
“Even when facing unimaginable circumstances and unreasonable working conditions, Unifor nurses truly answered the call of the past year,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “These COVID heroes have been subjected to restrictive emergency orders and legislation. Today, they continue to work erratic and unreasonable schedules, taking no vacation and often needing to self-isolate from their families to protect them.”
Unifor was the first union to publicly demand Pandemic Pay for health care workers in April of 2020. The unions’ position continues to be that any worker subject to provincial Emergency Orders should receive pandemic pay.
“As the rate of hospitalization continues to threaten to topple Ontario’s healthcare system, and push out scheduled surgeries, we expect that nurses could possibly will continue to be redeployed across hospitals in the GTA, long-term care homes or retirement homes, possibly without the notice or training and orientation that the jobs demand,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “Premier Doug Ford likes to call our nurses heroes but refuses to treat them as such. Nurses alongside a slew of health care workers deserve pandemic pay and respect from their government. That includes ensuring they be prioritized for their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.”
The pandemic brought to light systemic staffing and capacity shortages in Canada’s healthcare and long-term care systems to the forefront with tragic consequences. This past year, Unifor pressured federal and provincial governments to improve healthcare workers’ lives. The union lobbied for governments to introduce paid sick days, access to personal protective equipment and in provinces with pandemic pay, for it to be available and permanent for all health care workers.
“Nurses, along with all health care workers, are on the frontlines, battling this deadly and evolving virus each day,” said Linda MacNeil, Unifor Atlantic Regional Director. “Their work invaluable in providing care for Canadians at a time when we have needed it more than ever. We are collectively grateful for their dedicated service.”
The union will continue to be on the front lines fighting for the rights of all health care workers including demanding increased funding for public health care and a long-term care system that is not driven by profits.
This nursing week, the union encourages members and locals to share this statement and the Nursing Week image online on local websites and social media.
Unifor takes to the skies with a bold message for Premier Ford
May 1, 2021 – 12:00 AM
TORONTO – As the province continues to deny workers permanent paid sick leave, Unifor takes to the skies above the Greater Toronto Area with a bold message to Premier Doug Ford.
“We are running out of ways to get the message across to the Premier that workers need permanent, adequate sick leave, enshrined in employment standards legislation. So today, we brought the message right to his house, and to millions across the region, with a method that’s hard to ignore,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “When we say that Ontario’s workers need paid sick days, we mean employer-paid sick leave that they can rely on, without question, during this pandemic and forever.”
The message of support for paid sick days is flying on Saturday May 1 from Oshawa, over Toronto, and to Brampton, with a special tour in Etobicoke North.
Unifor first wrote to Premier Ford in March 2020 outlining the need for paid sick days to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stills and raw footage of the airplane banner will be available upon request to media.
“For the past year, Unifor and our members have written letters, called, met with MPPS and tried everything in our power to make the case for permanent paid sick leave for all workers in the province. As new variants rip through workplaces and communities, Doug Ford’s government stalled and then delivered a new benefit that is not adequate, and brings new gaps that may leave some workers even worse off,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director.
Three days of sick leave is not sufficient for COVID illness or recovery, and does not meet the needs of workers who could face a repeated need to seek COVID testing or self-isolate.
Unifor advocates for universal paid sick days to be enshrined in labour law in Ontario that includes:
- 7 permanent paid sick days;
- 14 additional paid sick days during a declared public health emergency;
- Universality (i.e. it applies to all workers, regardless of status);
- A prohibition on sick notes;
- Flexible (i.e. not just for short-term illness; more akin to “personal emergency” days);
- Employer-paid;
- No administrative burden.
In the past year, members in Ontario engaged Ministers and MPPS in a targeted lobbying campaign on this and other issues in advance of the 2021 provincial budget. In the coming week, the union will continue to escalate this call for true paid sick days with its member-driven digital campaign and a series of “phone zap” calling actions.
LOCAL 1996-O CHIEF STEWARD STRUCTURED CABLE ELECTION 2021 (May 7 2021- May 31 2021)
Sisters and Brothers,
Nominations have closed for the 2021 1996-O Chief Steward Elections.
There will be an Election for Chief Steward in Structured Cable 1996-O,
The dates of the election are the following:
- Mail out of ballots will commence from May 7th 2021.
- Return ballot envelopes must be deposited by way of Canada Post no later than May 19th 2021 2400hrs.
(Note any return ballot envelopes postmarked after May 20th 2021 will not be accepted or counted.)
Spoiled ballots are those that do not clearly indicate the person voted for/and or otherwise marked in any way, including if the return envelope has been written/marked on, or tampered with. (There is a detailed explanation insert with the mailed out ballot.) - Seniority list from April of 2021 will be used as a voters list
- Member Address List: The Current home address list of 1996-O Structured Cable members attained from BTS/Unifor1996-O in May 2021
- May 11th 2021 @ 1000hrs is the deadline to inform the committee of an address discrepancy on file with the employer/Union. The committee must be informed via email Elections1996@gmail.com for the correction, there will be no exceptions.
- Please note eligibility to vote is for Structured cable members of 1996-O
- The Election will take place on May 31st 2021.
1996-O, Structured Cable Chief Steward 2021 Election candidates as follows:
- Lloyd Bishop
- Colum Lynn
In Solidarity,
Local 1996-O
FAQ on Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit
Due to the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and its impact on workers, program support criteria are subject to change. Be sure to visit www.unifor.org/covid19 to download updated versions of this
fact sheet.
Note: On February 19, 2021, the federal government announced proposed legislative and regulatory changes that would increase the number of weeks of benefits available for the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), and Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2021/02/crb-extension.html
Please note that the new temporary paid sick leave measures only apply to workers covered by Ontario’s Employment Standards Act and does not cover federally regulated workers in sectors such as telecommunications, rail, and airlines, etc. who already have access to three days of paid sick leave under the Canada Labour Code.”
On April 29, 2021, the Government of Ontario passed legislation mandating that employers provide employees with paid sick leave under the Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit. The program entitles workers to take up to three days of paid sick leave at up to $200 per day in wages, if they are:
- going for a COVID-19 test or staying home awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test
- sick with COVID-19
- advised to self-isolate due to COVID-19 by an employer, medical practitioner or other authority
- going to get vaccinated or recovering from vaccination side-effects
- taking care of a dependent who is:
- sick with COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19
- self-isolating due to COVID-19
- getting vaccinated or recovering from vaccination side-effects
These temporary measures, referred to as ‘infectious disease emergency leave pay’, will be retroactive to April 19, 2021 and will end on September 25, 2021.
This FAQ document aims to provide Unifor members with the most up to date answers we have on frequently asked questions about Ontario’s temporary paid sick leave measures.
If I already have paid sick leave as part of my current collective agreement or employment contract, will I get an additional three days of paid sick days?
No – you will be topped up to three days of paid sick leave if you have one or two days of paid sick leave under your current employment contract. Any workers who already have three or more days of paid sick leave will not be covered by the new paid sick leave measures.
What if I have to take more than three days of sick leave? Can I continue to take sick leave for as long as I am ill or for other reasons related to COVID-19?
Yes – employees are currently entitled to take unpaid sick leave under Ontario’s infectious disease emergency leave measures, which allows workers to take unpaid sick leave for reasons related to COVID-19 without fear of reprisal or dismissal by their employers.
If I take unpaid sick leave after my three days of paid sick leave, can I apply for compensation through the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB)?
Only if the unpaid sick days fall within a one-week period during which you received no paid sick days. Unfortunately, the current CRSB rules do not allow you to apply for the CRSB for days that fall within a week when you received paid leave from your employer.
For example, if you were ill all week and took paid sick leave from Monday to Wednesday, you would not be eligible to be compensated through the CRSB for any unpaid leave taken on Thursday and Friday. Any days of unpaid sick leave taken the following week would be eligible for the CRSB.
Will I need a sick note to prove to my employer that I was absent for reasons related to COVID-19?
Employers cannot ask you for a sick note or medical certificate from a nurse or doctor to prove that you were eligible for sick leave (whether paid or unpaid), but may require you to provide ‘evidence reasonable in the circumstances’, which is determined on a case-by-case basis. Examples include a printout or screenshot of information issued by a public health official advising quarantine/self-isolation or a copy of an order to self-isolate. For more information, please refer to the province’s infectious disease emergency leave information.
What if I take a few hours off from work to get vaccinated? Will my paid sick leave only apply to the hours I am absent from work?
Under the paid sick leave legislation, taking part of a day counts as taking a full day of leave. In other words, if you only take a few hours from work for vaccination or any other COVID-19 related reason, you are considered to have taken a full paid day of sick leave.
I make less than $200 a day. What will my employer pay me if I take sick days under these new measures?
If you make less than $200 a day, you will be paid your regular wages for the day, not including any overtime that would have otherwise been paid.
I make more than $200 a day. Is my employer required to pay me my full wages for the day if I take sick leave under these new measures?
No – employers are only obligated to pay up to $200 per day for any days of sick leave taken under the new measures. Your employer may elect to pay you more, but the maximum amount they can be reimbursed by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is $200 per day.
I earn part of my pay from tips and/or commissions. Will the paid sick leave measures cover what I usually earn from these sources?
No – the paid sick leave measures will only cover your base wages.
I work as a freelancer and/or independent contractor. Am I covered by this new program?
No – the legislation implementing the program only applies to individuals defined as ‘employees’ under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA), which does not include independent contractors or freelancers. However, as a freelancer or independent contractor, you are eligible to apply for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB).
If I took unpaid sick leave on or after April 19, 2021 for reasons related to COVID-19, but before the legislation was enacted on April 29, am I still eligible for the three days of paid sick leave?
Yes, but you must inform your employer in writing by May 13, 2021 that you intend to take those days as paid sick leave.
What if I am called in for a shift at the last minute but cannot work for reasons related to COVID-19? Will I be eligible for paid sick leave?
If you were scheduled by the employer for a shift and were then unavailable to work due to reasons related to COVID-19, yes, you are eligible. If the employer simply called you to see if you were available to work that day, no, you are not eligible for paid sick leave.
How much notice am I required to give my employer in order to take paid sick leave? For example, am I eligible for paid sick leave if I elect to attend a pop-up vaccination clinic that is announced at the last minute?
There is no requirement to give your employer a specific amount of notice to take paid sick leave under the new measures. However, you must inform your employer that you are unavailable to work for COVID-19 related reasons as soon as you can.
Who can I contact for more information?
You can call the designated Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit Information Centre at 1-888-999-2248.
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