Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQ
Click on the link below to view a publication from Homewood Health regarding the Coronavirus outbreak:
Wishing you all the best,
Mary Keough
Chair, Component EAP Committee
COVID-19 & Reporting Health & Safety Complaints
Throughout the COVID-19 experience we have received many emails asking what we are doing to address this virus at the Health and Safety Committee level. Our answer has been consistent: “We’re doing what the reports show we should be doing. Have you filed a health and safety complaint?” The answer is almost always NO.
This needs to change.
We will not forward emails addressed to the union to the company, or screenshot social media posts. In many cases we cannot even discuss these without identifying our members. This would be a massive breach of trust and confidentiality. What’s on FB stays on FB – enjoy all the likes …
This is why we need reports. They are submitted directly to the company, so we know we can refer to them and work off of them. They’re also trackable and generate crucial stats that carry a lot more weight when recommending a change to senior management than “things we heard on FB”.
Take a few minutes to give your committees the tools they need to represent you. If you have time to post on Facebook, or Yammer, or to write an email – you have the time to file a formal report.
Here’s how to send a health and safety complaint e-report:
MAINLINE:
- ACAeronet > Safety > Submit a report/SIMS
- You will pass through two login screens
- Click on the e-report tab in the top left of the screen
- Select health and safety complaint from the menu on the right
- A pop-up will appear
- Remember to use your Air Canada email address
- Before clicking “submit” verify the “set department” button just to the left and ensure IFS DEPARTMENT is selected.
- We suggest typing the text of your complaint in a blank email so that it isn’t lost if there is a problem submitting.
- If you are an in-charge, you may file your health and safety complaint on your iPad.
- Your union H&S reps will be able to see your report in the safety system but send us an email to let us know you’ve submitted it with the report reference number.
ROUGE:
- Log into Aeronet and into AQD reporting portal
- Select an IFS Occupational Health and Safety eReport.
- Refer to chapter 2 in your PUB for instructions
- Ensure to provide a copy to the union by emailing health.safety@cupe4098.ca
If you’re having trouble with e-reporting reach out to us. We’ll be happy to assist and/or to put you in touch with the correct manager.
Mainline: contact@accomponent.ca
Rouge: contact@cupe4098.ca
In solidarity,
Your Air Canada Component of CUPE Health and Safety Committee
A Message From Your President
I wanted to update you again, we have been hearing from you loud and clear with regards to how you are feeling online, at home and abroad. We are here for you, and working through all of the emails around the clock.
Below is a list of what we have proposed to Air Canada / Air Canada Rouge in regards to limiting exposure:
- Reduction of all non-essential service to passengers on all flights
- To date all that has been removed is Hot Towel service in j class, we need a cease of meals and drinks. Contact is the primary issue, so that needs to end when not required.
- Only by dealing with urgent matters eg: Medical situations, security events, regulated safety etc.
- Be allowed to practice social distancing when possible onboard. Non-essential crew should be removed, ADC’s and OBSMs.
- Employer to provide all hospital grade PPE required:
- Provide sufficient medical grade gloves for all staff in varied sizes
- Provide multiple long sleeve isolation gowns for any pairing
- Provide multiple N95 mask for each pairing
- Face shield on every plane
- Extra supplies made available at the gate, crew rooms and on board
- Employer to ensure each flight is properly stocked for disinfecting materials while in flight.
- No planes leave without potable water, no exceptions to this.
- Proper disinfection of every plane, after each flight.
We will keep you apprised as discussions on this continue, we are encouraged to know the Company will look into this.
In Solidarity,
Wesley Lesosky
President, Air Canada Component of CUPE
COVID-19 & The Right To Refuse Dangerous Work
COVID-19 has resulted in a high demand for information on the right to refuse dangerous work. Please take note that work refusals are intended to be a last resort.
It is highly advised, if possible, to file a health and safety complaint and follow up via email with a manager to attempt to resolve your concern PRIOR to arriving at work. This does not reduce or remove your right to refuse dangerous work. What it does is provide the employer extra time to try to fix the issue at the root of your concern, which is beneficial to everyone.
- You can file a health and safety complaint by logging into ACAeronet > Safety > Submit a report/SIMS at Mainline or by logging into AQD at Rouge.
- The company may be experiencing a high volume of reports, so we suggest following up with a manager regarding your formal complaint via phone or email
- Let the Union know
Please take note:
- YOU NEED TO BE AT WORK TO REFUSE and it needs to be in good faith.
- STEP 1 is between yourself and the company – As per the Canada Labour Code the Union will not be present at this stage.
- STEP 1 does not go on indefinitely. If the company is unable to resolve your concern and you still believe you’re in danger you may move on to step 2 at which point your union H&S reps will be involved alongside their management colleagues from the joint H&S committee (see bulletin mentioned below for details).
- NO ONE except for a safety official from Transport Canada or Employment Social Development Canada can tell you there is no danger (including making a decision about imminent or serious threat). Nor can anyone except such an official force you to go back to work.
- You cannot be threatened or disciplined.
- You do not lose pay (reassignment may apply)
- You have a right to be present for every part of the investigation including any conversations with other departments and any experts.
The Union’s work refusal bulletin contains more details and can be obtained by sending a blank email to rtr@accomponent.ca. We recommend that it be consulted in conjunction with the information in your manual at the end of chapter 2.
In solidarity,
Your Air Canada Component of CUPE Health and Safety Committee
Coronavirus Update 18
We want to start this bulletin by saying “THANK YOU”. Thank you for remaining professional even though we have had nothing but mixed messaging from the Federal Government, Provincial Governments, and the Company.
To give everyone the impression that it is business as usual, and then go one step further and state in a message to crews:
“Following discussions with government authorities, we can confirm these conditions do not apply to you as operating, deadheading or commuting cabin crew.”
This is alarming. Are we superhuman? Are we not equal to those we serve in regard to being able to come to work and expect a healthy and safe environment? Are we not susceptible to a virus that by all reports is running rampant? Why are we having to be stuck in customs dealing with the “I thought I was exempt?”
Furthermore, it goes on to say:
“You’re exempted given you’re well trained and prepared to protect yourselves, spend less times in the countries being visited, and have access to and use protective measures on board including hand sanitizers, masks and gloves when and as appropriate.”
We respectfully disagree. We are not trained for a pandemic of this magnitude. We are fully trained in first aid, safety and security measures, and our day to day duties. Those things we do, and fully excel at. We do not have the correct masks that assist in this scenario. Hand sanitizer is not a cure for regular handwashing when we don’t have running water. How was an exemption given when this line is not factual? We have crew centres that are out of gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer. It is incomprehensible how we are left to our own devices and are going to have to make the best of this situation. We are tired of having to make the best of a situation. In these unprecedented circumstances we believe that this approach is irresponsible.
This is messaging that goes to far, it is quite frankly a slap in the face at this time. We need to be equipped to do our job. We need to have proper provisions of supplies. We need running water on ALL flights, domestic or international and more importantly we need managers in crew centres hourly to address our concerns in an immediate fashion. Where are the Company representatives when we are told that we are all in this together? Unfortunately it does not feel that way.
This is a pandemic, this is not a regular occurrence, this is happening NOW. We are the front line workers of this airline, we are proud employees of Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge. We want action and we want answers.
We will continue to lobby the Government, demand meetings and move forward with the facts.
In solidarity,
