Members of Local 4935, Bay St. George in Stephenville Crossing, ask you to stay home and stay safe!
Today I’m wearing red. I’m wearing red in memory of the victims of the deadliest mass shooting that has ever taken place in Canada. Words can’t express my grief, shock, and heartache. CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador sends our heartfelt condolences to all those who lost family, friends, neighbours and co-workers. May the knowledge that you are in our thoughts and prayers bring you some comfort at this devastating time.
Thank you to our members, and everyone in Newfoundland and Labrador, for your commitment to bringing the coronavirus to a standstill. We are crushing the curve here in Newfoundland and Labrador! We’ve had seven days with no reported cases. Keep up the physical distancing and the hand washing and Stay in your Bubble!
Your Division executive continues to work hard on your behalf. The executive has been having weekly conference calls to discuss issues that are arising in our locals. We’ve also been planning our convention for the weekend of September 11 to 13, 2020.
As your President, I have been keeping in touch with our staff and local leadership in many ways. I’ve been attending sector conference calls with the servicing and specialist staff to keep up on issues as they arise. These calls have been instrumental in the sharing of information from local to local and have provided an excellent way for all CUPE locals in Newfoundland and Labrador to stand in solidarity with one another.
If you are experiencing any issues at work, whether they be related to COVID-19 or not, please don’t hesitate to contact your local leadership. Any issues you are having must still be dealt with during the pandemic, and our local executives, shop stewards, and staff are working hard on your behalf every day.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been the largest single issue of this pandemic. Our sector calls have allowed us to share experiences across locals with respect to this issue. Some employers have done a very good job of providing appropriate personal protective equipment for our members and some have not. In addition to the sector calls with our activists, I’ve also been on several calls with TaskForce NL, who are working to produce PPE right here in Newfoundland and Labrador. CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador would like to acknowledge the work of this group in helping to keep our frontline workers safe. Thank you!
You have a right to a healthy and safe workplace. If you are having issues being supplied proper personal protective equipment, please reach out to your local leadership. If necessary, they can involve your staff rep. You can also find information on this site regarding your right to refuse unsafe work. Stay safe while you carry out your duties!
Also on this site, you’ll find lots of pictures of CUPE members providing public service to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. I invite you to take pictures and send them along. You are all heroes, and I am so proud to be able to display your heroic efforts to provide much-needed services to the people of this province. Kudos to you all!
Finally, Administrative Professionals Day was Wednesday, and I’d like to send a big shout out to all our administrative staff. They picked up their work and moved to their homes without hesitation and have continued to serve CUPE members excellently throughout this unprecedented and difficult situation. I don’t know what we’d do without them!
Stay safe and stay home.
Sherry Hillier
President
CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador