This weekend, Unifor was notified by the Ontario Minister of Health, Christine Elliott, that the Ontario Government was going to issue a temporary order in the fight against COVID-19 that would affect all hospital workers, including Unifor members.
The temporary order allows hospitals the ability to cancel and postpone services to free-up space and valuable staff, identify staffing priorities, and develop, modify and implement redeployment plans for the next 14 days.
The order will allow hospitals, if needed to respond to, prevent and alleviate an outbreak of COVID-19 by carrying out measures such as:
- Redeploying staff within different locations in (or between) facilities of the hospital;
- Redeploying staff to work in COVID-19 assessment centres;
- Changing the assignment of work, including assigning non-bargaining unit employees or contractors to perform bargaining unit work;
- Changing the scheduling of work or shift assignments;
- Deferring or cancelling vacations, absences or other leaves, regardless of whether such vacations, absences or leaves are established by statute, regulation, agreement or otherwise;
- Employing extra part-time or temporary staff or contractors, including for the purpose of performing bargaining unit work;
- Using volunteers to perform work, including bargaining unit work; and
- Providing appropriate training or education as needed to staff and volunteers to achieve the purposes of a redeployment plan.
The union raised several issues pertaining to the temporary order to Minister Elliot. First, that hospitals should only enact these directives in response to a demonstrated need, that it should not be “open season” on the terms and conditions of our collective agreements and that changes in hours of work as it relates to child care needs be considered for workers.
We also brought to Minister Elliot’s attention the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) facing health care workers, including N95 masks, gowns, etc. Minister Elliott advised that government is looking to source additional PPEs from many other industries and sectors across the province, and are working with various manufacturers to produce PPEs in an expedited way.
This issue is at the forefront of the calls we have been having with the Province and Ontario Health. We have been abundantly clear to every level of government that protecting front-line workers must be a priority.
If you are concerned about the availability of or access to PPE in your workplace, please bring this to the attention of your joint occupational health and safety committee. If you have questions about if your employer is implementing the powers of this order appropriately, please notify your union committee.
Unifor will continue to provide updates as information becomes available at unifor.org/COVID-19. Please sign up for the union’s weekly newsletter at unifor.org/subscribe and download the Unifor mobile app on the Google Play store or the Apple App Store on your smartphone.
