As Air Canada employees you benefit from the option of participating in the at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 screening program.
This program provides a box of 25-30 rapid antigen tests, which permits workers to test twice weekly from the comfort of their own home and record their results using the company COVID-19 testing web app.
Antigen testing has certain limitations when it comes to overall sensitivity, however it benefits from instant results as well as effectiveness at flagging cases during periods of high viral loads which coincide with viral shedding (infectiousness). It has therefore been the position of the Union since the early days of this pandemic that rapid antigen testing should be utilized as one of many layers of precautions to allow for safe air travel and recovery of our industry.
Currently, there is a huge demand for rapid testing in educational as well as other group settings and the government is in the process of making hard choices where to allocate supplies.
We have been advised that many participants in the program are not reporting their results using the company web app. As a result, the program is in imminent jeopardy of termination by the government.
If you are a participant in the rapid testing program it is IMPERATIVE that you record your results using the company’s COVID-19 testing web app. If you require assistance using the app, please reach out to your local health and safety representatives, your base safety management or base management who will be pleased to assist.
In solidarity,
Your Air Canada Component of CUPE Health and Safety Committee