OPSEU members refuse work at eight DECs due to lack of answers on SARS
Eight Driver Examination Centres in Southern Ontario have been at a standstill since March 27 because of massive work refusals under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). Driver Examiners at Metro East, Downsview, John Rhodes, Aurora, Orangeville, Guelph, Kitchener and Oakville have refused to work until
the employer provides them with answers to questions about how to deal with the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndome (SARS).
The employer failed to respond to the union’s demands for information, procedures and equipment to protect them in cases where a client may have come in contact with SARS.
Under Section 43 of the OHSA, individuals can refuse unsafe work and the employer is obliged to address the situation before work is resumed. If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute at the workplace, they must inform the Ministry of Labour who will send an Inspector to investigate. The Ministry of Labour
inspector then must determine whether or not the work is safe and give a written report of that decision to the employer and the refusing worker.
Staff at the Downsview DEC had eight questions which the employer has been unable to answer. The employer had promised to provide information by noon March 27 but did not. The Metro East DEC in Scarborough was the first location where work refusals took place, followed by the other locations. The Ministry of Labour is
now involved at some of the DECs but has not completed its investigation nor made a decision about the safety of the work.
OPSEU is providing advice and support to its members at these DEC locations, and is posting SARS updates on its web site at opseu.org.
Pension questions? For those attending the OPSEU Convention, there will be a special session April 3, 5:30-8:30 in Conference Room E, about your pension benefits, rights and entitlements during the transfer. Watch this publication for details of upcoming meetings in your Region.
Organizing: Contact OPSEU at 1-800-268-7376. Organizers for the DEC campaign are Paul Dunseith at ext.355, Ed Ogibowski at ext. 362 and Connie Huziak at ext. 327.
Your Job Security Officer is: Judith Marion, OPSEU x 370 jmarion@opseu.org
Your Reasonable Efforts Committee is: John O’Brien, Hm. (807)-628-8066; cell (807)-628-4364; jobrien2@tbaytel.net ; Gail Kreutzkamp home (519)-742-4017;
gailkreutzkamp@hotmail.com
Your MERC Team is: John O’Brien (as above), Serge Valcourt (705) 472-7900 x 6490, Robert Houston (519) 372-4045, Peggy Maybury (416) 235-4218. Or contact your Staff Representative or the steward in your workplace.
DEC Notes is published as a regular update for OPSEU staff in Driver Examiner Centres. More information on the government’s planned transfer of services can be viewed at:
http://www.opseu.org/campaign/mtooindex.htm on the OPSEU web site.
Authorized for Distribution:
Leah Casselman, President
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