Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Occupational Health & Safety”
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, all public sector workers are experiencing profound changes in their work. Social distancing is requiring work to be rearranged in ways that minimize contact with other people. In the municipal sector, this is leading to more and more situations where municipal employees are working alone. Working alone is often misunderstood. There may be situations where multiple …
How do we practice social distancing at work? To the best of our ability. Many public sector workers are in workplaces that have been deemed essential and will continue to operate during the pandemic. In this context social distancing is a hazard control and must be followed whenever possible. Work should be arranged to minimize the direct contact workers have …
Many CUPE members have questions about child care during this very challenging time. Essential workers who are providing health and critical public services during the pandemic and who do not have access to child care may be eligible for government-sponsored child care. Limited child care services will be available for children ages one to 13 years in existing child care …
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 …
Please note, the Good Neighbour Agreement applies to our health care members only. Yesterday, CUPE and other unions representing health care workers signed a Good Neighbour Agreement with the Regional Health Authorities and the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information. This agreement will ensure a planned and timely response to the COVID-19 pandemic in our health care system. Good …
PROVINCIAL UPDATE There are 20 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 102 cases province-wide. One person has been hospitalized. 68 of the cases are directly or indirectly related to a service at Caul’s funeral home in St. John’s last week. Health-care facilities in the four health regions are down to one access point per building with security on …
PROVINCIAL UPDATE There are 15 new cases of COVID-19 in the Eastern Health region, which brings the provincial total to 82. Ages range from 8 to 80, and all are recovering at home. There have been no hospitalizations to date. Testing is now being done in the province’s microbiology lab, rather than Winnipeg. The provincial legislature has resumed sitting to …
PROVINCIAL UPDATE There are 32 new presumptive cases of COVID-19. One of these is in the Western Health region, making it the first in this area. The other 31 cases are in the Eastern Health region. This brings the total number of cases in the province to 67. New measures to prevent the spread of the virus include cancelling driver’s …
Up-to-date information on the coronavirus, including how to recognize symptoms and how to stop transmission is available at: cupe.ca/coronavirus. PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT UPDATE As of March 24, there are 35 presumptive and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador. The 11 new presumptive cases are all within the Eastern Health region. The Chief Medical Officer of Health has ordered closures …
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the extent to which our individual health is dependent on the health of everyone in our community. Public healthcare is our best defense against this crisis and others like it. However, our ability to endure crises and care for each other has been eroded through decades of austerity budgets, privatization and inadequate planning. Even during …
