Q & A on Right to Refuse and Personal Protective Equipment

Can I use my right to refuse for COVID-19?
Employees have a right to refuse unsafe work when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the work, tool, or equipment is dangerous to you or another person’s health and safety. Many situations could create a dangerous condition in your workplace and COVID-19 is no exception. For most workers, especially those in a health care workplace, the presence of a communicable disease isn’t automatically dangerous, as long as you have the training and appropriate resources, including personal protective equipment (PPE) to do the work safely.

When do I need to use Personal Protective Equipment?
Working with residents or patients who are suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 is hazardous work, and PPE is an important tool that allows your work to be performed safely. COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets so the PPE for those providing care would include a mask to cover your mouth, goggles or a face shield to cover your eyes, a gown to cover your clothing, and gloves to protect your hands. Lacking any of these resources would make the work more hazardous and could lead to a dangerous situation.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE for affiliated locals of CUPE NS & Long Term Care Coordinating Committee

CUPE Nova Scotia and the Long Term Care Coordinating Committee want to do our part in supporting social distancing.

As a result, we have decided to post pone our Convention & Conference this coming May.
Stay tuned for dates in the fall!

Our heartfelt thanks to CUPE members showing up to work everyday on the frontline, working to keep us safe during this global pandemic.

Additionally, in order to create space for a fall convention, it has been decided to cancel the All-Committees Conference scheduled for this coming October.

In Socially Distant Solidarity,
CUPE Nova Scotia Executive & the Long Term Care Coordinating Committee 

COVID-19 and Income Supports for Workers Q and A

What is your situation? 

I am an employee with COVID-19 and/or in isolation: 

  • Your employer may have a short-term disability or sick leave program that you need to apply for before applying for EI Sickness Benefits. Check your collective agreement or contact your CUPE local.
  • If you have worked more than 600 hours in the past year or since your last EI claim, you qualify for EI sickness benefits. For more information on EI Sickness Benefits, check out the section on EI below.
  • If you have not worked more than 600 hours in the past year or since your last EI claim, the federal government is providing an Emergency Care Benefit, which will provide benefits comparable to EI for up to 15 weeks. More details will be forthcoming from the Federal government.
  • Your job will be protected during this leave of absence by federal and provincial legislation.

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COVID-19 : FYI for CUPE members

The Precautionary Principal
Knowledge about how the virus is transmitted has yet to be fully understood. For this reason, CUPE is recommending that health care settings adopt the precautionary principle towards infection prevention and control of COVID-19.

The precautionary principle means taking action to prevent infection from potentially serious viruses without having to wait for complete scientific proof that a course of action is necessary. While there is continued uncertainty that the virus is not spread through the air, we must conduct ourselves as if it were.

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When to self isolate : COVID-19

“Public sector employees who travel outside of Canada, including to the United States, are required to self-isolate for 14 days when they get back to Canada. This includes health care workers, teachers, civil servants and other public sector employees.

Public school students and children who attend regulated childcare centres are required to self-isolate for 14 days if they have travelled outside the country, including to the United States. This rule applies even if their parents or caregivers aren’t public sector employees.”

 

The Long-Term Care Committee will be offering two scholarships valued at $250.00 each, available to members who’s locals are affiliated with the LTCCC, to honour our past member Michael McNeil.

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International hires are helping but challenges remain for long-term care in Nova Scotia

“We haven’t seen much change,” says Louise Riley, a continuing care assistant who chairs CUPE’s Long-Term Care Committee. “We are still working short and we are still being mandated (i.e. forced by the employer) to work overtime. We have lots of people out sick or on Workers’ Compensation claims. We need more CCAs in nursing homes – period.”