The Local Executive wishes you and your families all the best this holiday season, and a very happy New Year.
There will not be a Local Union Meeting this month. There has not been much to update activity since the November meeting. The Executive has had a rough month, Vice President Melissa Bellingham was injured at work, and I was in a car accident. We are both on the mend, and thank you for the well wishes.
We had Bargaining Dates set for November 29 and 30, but due to my recovery from my accident on November 26 those dates had to be cancelled. We are currently trying to get dates for February of 2012. The Employer was not available in December and our CUPE Rep is out of the Country until the end of January. I will update you on new dates in the New Year.
There are only 2 Grievances still pending for 2012. One is in abeyance pending a resolution in Bargaining. The other is on an Employee Termination that the Local is dealing with.
It has been a busy year. The Local dealt with 13 new Grievances this year. There were some real advances made in Bargaining at the beginning of the year. We also received 2 National Rep changes, and two bargaining rep changes.
To see what has been going on at CUPE BC click here.
To see what has been going on at CUPE National click here.
To see what is new at the BCFed click here.
For current OH&S information and courses click here.
Health and Safety News
The Regulation was named Grant’s Law in honour of Grant DePatie, a young gas station attendant killed on the job while working alone in Maple Ridge. At the time of its introduction, the Regulation was considered among the best in Canada.
Heard of "Glued Meat"? Just watch part of it.....
Transglutamase is very scary stuff! See also http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/03/meat-glue-frankenstein-mea/
There is a 30 second short ad before the actual video clip (5:50)Now along with not eating seafood from Asia or other countries ... we have to watch for GLUED meat! Be sure to watch this; you will be shocked. I sure was.The next time that you are at the grocery store go to the pre-packaged meat coolers and look closely at the list of the countries on the label of any of the packaged meats (which is a mandatory FDA law) that shows where that meat came from. Buy only meat that came from USA or Canada .Well, you can bet that if they are doing it in Australia , they're doing it here. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to learn the technology was developed here. This video is shocking & everyone should be aware of what they are doing and what you are buying!!! I have never seen or heard of such a thing!!!
Rights and Responsibilities
All workers in British Columbia have four basic Health & Safety Rights:
The Right to Know
Workers have the Right to Know about any potential hazards in the workplace. You have a right to training and information on machinery, equipment, working conditions, processes and hazardous substances.
Example of a worker’s Right to Know:
Example of a worker’s Right to Know:
- The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
- Violence in the Workplace (Past experience or occurrences)
- Ergonomics (Known Hazards)
- Asbestos (Known Locations)
- Employer must post WCB inspection reports
You can ask the employer to provide information on:
- Hazards in your workplace
- Experience of other workplaces
- WCB orders and penalties
The Right to Participate
Workers have the Right to Participate in the process of identifying and resolving workplace health and safety concerns. They participate through worker membership on Joint Health and Safety Committees and reporting concerns to their supervisor or employer. Workers also have the Right to Participate in workplace inspections and investigations.
The Right to Refuse Unsafe Work
Workers have the Right to Refuse work they believe is dangerous to their own health and safety or to another worker. The Right to Refuse Unsafe Work is one of the few exceptions to the “work now, grieve later” rule in labour relations.
Section 3.12 of the Workers Compensation Act (Canada Labour Code Part II - Section 128 & 129) includes the process for refusing work and employer responsibilities for responding to refusals. Legislation also provides workers with protection from reprisal from the employer.
The Right to No Discrimination
You cannot be fired or disciplined for participating in Health and Safety activities.Discrimination Defined:
- Suspension, lay-off, or dismissal
- Demotion or loss of opportunity for promotion
- Transfer of duties, reduction in wages
- Coercion or intimidation
- Discipline, reprimand
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