Bulletin
FORTISBC-CSC- COVID 19-UPDATE #2 – March 26, 2020
March 26, 2020
To: All MoveUP Members at FortisBC-CSC
In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, MoveUP has been keeping in regular contact with FortisBC-CSC to ensure that the health of its members and their families is the utmost priority during this time.
In discussions with the Company this morning, the Company identified that they will be implementing the next wave of having employees working from home. It is their goal to have approximately another 60 people working from home by the end of next week. Then approximately 100 more by the end of the following week. In consideration of who works from home, the Parties considered the following criteria:
- Members or family members who may have a compromised immune system; or, a medical condition that places them in high risk.
- Capabilities to work from home – a survey has gone out to the members in hopes of assessing who as the ability to work from home, and what would they need.
- Work assignments and what can be completed at home.
- Seniority
We appreciate that a number of members are feeling that the recent phase of identifying who works from home is not fair, however, we would offer that during this unprecedented time, we are doing the best that we can during this time and we ask for your patience and understanding. The Company is attempting to put measures in place that will have the majority of its membership working from home, right now, they are attempting to acquire more computer hardware for this to happen.
For those of you who are still in the workplace, your Employer has committed to following the recommendations of the health authorities by introducing improved sanitation practices, maintaining physical and social distancing, and by restricting access to the workplace.
If you have concerns about recommendations of the health authorities not being followed, COVID-19 is no different from any other safety concern: you should not perform work which is unsafe, and you should immediately raise any safety concerns with your manager and your local safety committee, who will be in the best position to address those concerns and ensure the recommendations are followed.
We also would like to take this opportunity to remind you that if you are experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, however mild, or if you have a history of possible exposure to the novel coronavirus due to travel outside of Canada or close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19, you should stay at home and should NOT attend the workplace.
We encourage you to visit MoveUP’s COVID-19 resource page at:
https://moveuptogether.ca/resources/flattenthecurve/.
In Solidarity,
Cindy A. Lee, Union Representative
Rysa Kronebusch, VP-Utilities