Coronavirus Update 44B

This bulletin provides important updates (in red) and supersedes Coronavirus Update#44A issued on Monday December 27th.

Click HERE for a list of all important contacts.

COVID-19 COMPANY MEASURES:
Reporting concerns via health and safety complaints if you have them remains critical. Be as detailed as possible and provide suggestions if you have them. Please know that we continue to collaborate with the company on important initiatives that come directly from your comments ex. Masking challenges, PPE concerns etc.

See below for links to the Union’s reporting bulletins.

RIGHT TO REFUSE DANGEROUS WORK:
The Union is extremely busy, and it is useful that members consult both the information in their FAM as well as the Union’s work refusal bulletin if they have questions about their rights prior to reaching out. You can obtain a copy of the Union’s bulletin automatically by sending a blank email to rtr@accomponent.ca . This is an unmonitored account.

COMPANY COVID-19 POLICIES:
At ML ALL updated company policies including COVID-19 safe behaviour policy as well as Covid-19 Guidelines can be accessed via ACAeronet > HRConnex > Covid-19 mitigations banner at the top of the screen.

At Rg ALL updated company policies can be found on ACAeronet > Rouge > Human Resources > Human Resources Tools & Forms or on the COVID-19 resources tab.

NOTE:  The company’s COVID-19 Guidelines policy includes a provision for paid leave if you need to isolate in certain circumstances. If your case applies, please reach out to the local for assistance as this may allow you not to lose any sick days up until the date you received your results. We recommend that you: 1) Clearly document how your close contact was determined to have COVID-19: PCR or rapid test; 2) Test date; 3) If rapid test, was a second test performed to confirm etc.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU TEST POSITIVE OR HAVE SYMPTOMS:
Please continue to let us know of your positive cases by replying to this email.

• If you have symptoms or test positive DO NOT come to work.
• Book off. You do not need to call occupational health. Provide any relevant workplace contact tracing details to the book-off line personnel.
• Call Medaire(ML) / Allianz (Rg) if on layover (Click HERE for a list of all important contacts)
• It is highly recommended to document your illness via rapid tests (two) or PCR method if possible (preferable).

IF YOU HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE YOU CAUGHT IT AT WORK:
(Without notifications from public health about positive passenger exposure a lot of this relies on common sense, and you ARE permitted to file a report even if not contact traced):

• File a work-related illness/injury report. Be as detailed as possible about how you may have been exposed to the virus while working.
• Follow workers compensation procedures applicable to your home province (see grid below for links)
  • If WCB is approved you will not incur any lost sick days/hrs.
  • If WCB is denied, you will incur up to 7 sick days (using sick hours at Rg) and then fall on WIP/Insurance.
    • You will need to consult a doctor and have them fill out the medical portion of the insurance forms if your book off lasts more than 7 days so we strongly suggest having the physician complete these at the same time as the WCB forms (if required) to avoid multiple appointments.
  • If a book-off lasts more than 7 days, you MUST either fall on WIP/Insurance or workers compensation – one or the other. It isn’t optional.
• Workers who test positive or who suspect they had COVID-19 must inform the book-off line when returning back to work – even if their illness/isolation occurred while on days off.
• Workers who have satisfied provincial quarantine requirements and who have no symptoms can book back on via the book-off line – they do not need to pass through occupational health.
  • There are two very important exceptions to this:
    • Employees with residual symptoms after having completed their self-isolation period MUST contact Occupational Health Services to receive clearance in order to return to work.
    • Employees who experienced significant symptoms requiring medical evaluation and care MUST receive clearance from Occupational Health Services in order to return to work.
• Speak to the local (Contact below) for guidance on the workers compensation process and return to work steps once you are better depending on your condition.

IF YOU BELIEVE YOU DID NOT CATCH IT AT WORK
(ex. You are confident that you were exposed by a friend who was positive or a child):

• you will incur up to 7 sick days and then fall on WIP (ML) or Disability Insurance (RG).
  • You will need to consult a doctor and have them fill out the medical portion of the forms if your book off is expected to last more than 7 days.
• If a book-off lasts more than 7 days, you MUST either fall on WIP/Insurance or workers compensation – one or the other. It isn’t optional.
• Workers who test positive must inform the book-off line when returning back to work – even if their illness/isolation occurred while on days off.
• Workers who have satisfied provincial quarantine requirements and who have no symptoms can book back on via the book-off line – they do not need to pass through occupational health.
  • There are two very important exceptions to this:
    • Employees with residual symptoms after having completed their self-isolation period MUST contact Occupational Health Services to receive clearance in order to return to work.
    • Employees who experienced significant symptoms requiring medical evaluation and care MUST receive clearance from Occupational Health Services in order to return to work.
• Speak to the local (below) for guidance on the workers compensation process and return to work steps once you are better depending on your condition.

WORKERS COMPENSATION INFORMATION AND SUPPORT:
The union local offices support members with workers compensation. We have provided the links to the information required to start the process. Follow-up questions should be addressed to the local offices below.

PREVIOUS RELEVANT UNION BULLETINS:
All Coronavirus Update bulletins can be accessed HERE
Reporting Bulletin can be accessed HERE
Reporting FAQ bulletin can be accessed HERE

RAPID TESTING:
We are aware that due to provincial governments rolling out rapid testing to the public, there have been shortages. The company continues to distribute kits across bases where they can be obtained through the crew support centres. Kits may be smaller to satisfy demand (5 per kit), and we remind you that they are for workplace use and that it remains important to upload results to the COVID-19 home testing app.

The Union’s follow-up bulletin on rapid testing with instructions can be found HERE.

PROVINCIAL GUIDELINES:
Provincial and territorial guidelines and policies are changing rapidly.

The updated list of provincial COVID-19 resource websites and contacts can be accessed HERE.

In Solidarity,