As front-line professionals delivering critical health care in our province, we want to recognize the demanding and stressful time that our members, their colleagues, families and loved ones face.

PIPSC President Debi Daviau, on behalf of all PIPSC members, joins all Canadians in expressing appreciation to our members in health services for their dedication and commitment in responding to this crisis.

We are working hard to respond to the concerns identified by the following ON Groups:

• Sunnybrook Mechanical and Electronic Technologists (SUN-MET)
• Sunnybrook Radiation Therapists (SUN-RT)
• Radiation Therapists - Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC)
• Radiation Therapist - Thunder Bay Regional (TBH-RT)
• Windsor Radiation Therapists (WRH-RT)

On March 21, 2020, the Ontario Ministry of Health announced it was implementing “Extraordinary Steps to Ensure Health Care Resources are Available to Contain COVID-19.” This temporary order provides hospitals with the ability to cancel and postpone services to free-up space and valuable staff, identify staffing priorities, and develop, modify and implement redeployment plans.

Under this temporary order, hospitals including Hamilton Health Sciences, Niagara Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Windsor Regional Hospital, will be able to respond to, prevent and alleviate an outbreak of COVID-19 by carrying out measures such as:

1. Redeploying staff within different locations in (or between) facilities of the hospital;
2. Redeploying staff to work in COVID-19 assessment centres;
3. Changing the assignment of work, including assigning non-bargaining unit employees or contractors to perform bargaining unit work;
4. Changing the scheduling of work or shift assignments;
5. Deferring or cancelling vacations, absences or other leaves, regardless of whether such vacations, absences or leaves are established by statute, regulation, agreement or otherwise;
6. Employing extra part-time or temporary staff or contractors, including for the purpose of performing bargaining unit work;
7. Using volunteers to perform work, including to perform bargaining work;
8. And providing appropriate training or education as needed to staff and volunteers to achieve the purposes of a redeployment plan.

When utilized by hospitals, these redeployment plans temporarily supersede the provisions of a collective agreement. This could include lay-offs, seniority/service or bumping provisions, allowing for the redeployment of staff to address the containment of COVID-19 without restriction or delay.

This time-limited order is valid for 14 days unless revoked or renewed in accordance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

These exceptional and unprecedented measures are concerning for our members.

President Daviau has written to the Presidents of Hamilton Health Sciences, Niagara Health, Sunnybrook Health Sciences, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Windsor Regional Hospital to express our commitment to collaborate and ensure the response to the crisis is effective and all risks for patients and staff are minimized to the greatest extent possible.

In return, we asked for the hospital’s commitment to consult and collaborate with our representatives to draw upon their experience and knowledge to ensure the most effective, sustainable and safe response.

The success of this crisis response ultimately relies upon the capacity of the workforce to maintain services under stressful circumstances for an extended period.

The health and safety of hospital employees must be maintained. This includes:

1. Where redeployment is considered necessary, ensuring employees are adequately equipped, trained and qualified to perform the required work;
2. Should reassignment or rescheduling be considered necessary, ensuring adequate notice to allow employees to manage family responsibilities, including childcare, elder care and sufficient rest periods;
3. Ensuring that work from home arrangements for employees not required on-site are utilized and supported to the fullest extent possible;
4. Providing paid leave to employees forced to stay home due to sickness, quarantine or family care in those situations where alternate care cannot be arranged; and
5. Ensure Personal Protective Equipment is deployed when appropriate, without exception.

PIPSC staff are taking immediate steps to address these items further with the hospital and your group representatives.

If you feel your health and safety or that of a patient or colleague is jeopardized by a task or assignment that you are being asked to perform, please contact your steward immediately.

For questions about your rights and responsibilities in the workplace, please fill out the COVID-19 Help Form to reach our Labour Relations team.

PIPSC stands behind our members in ensuring they have the support to fulfill their professional responsibilities.

We were recently informed that RCMP Human Resources would not be approving any request to rescind discharge requests that were submitted by employees – many of which are now our members - in anticipation of deeming.

There was no indication in the RCMP’s latest communications to employees that discharge requests would now be considered irrevocable.  While the RCMP knew full well that members would reconsider their discharge if deeming were to be delayed, it did nothing to forewarn applicants of this possibility, or provide notice of this change in approach.

On March 18, we wrote to Commissioner Lucki urging her to take immediate steps to rescind this decision and permit members to withdraw their discharge notices, if they so desire.  We also wrote to the federal government’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Nancy Chahwan, on this matter.

We are pleased to report that Commissioner Lucki wrote back that same day telling us that she had instructed her officials to stop processing Form 1733 at this time, until she has the opportunity to look into it further.  We are in regular contact with her office, and will update our civilian RCMP members on this and other issues as soon as possible.

The Treasury Board has responded to our request for a clear definition of “critical work”. 

“A critical service is one that, if disrupted, would result in a high or very high degree of injury to the health, safety, security or economic well-being of Canadians, or to the effective functioning of the Government of Canada.”

All departments are required by the Treasury Board to identify their respective critical services and related supporting resources. If a department’s current list of critical services is not up to date, the Treasury Board has requested that it be revised to identify redundancy for the highest demand jobs, to account for possible absences or to prevent burnout of staff should the situation persist.

“Essential service” refers to the positions that must continue to provide service during strike activity. This does not relate to our current crises.

At this time, all non-critical public servants should be working from home as an urgent action to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Treasury Board will reassess this directive on April 10, 2020.

In cases where working remotely is not at all possible, non-critical employees will be eligible for “other leave with pay” (code 699).

If you are being required to work from your workplace and you do not believe your work is officially deemed critical please contact us now.

For more information on COVID-19 for PIPSC members visit our FAQs.

General COVID-19 FAQs

Core Public Administration

Information for Government of Canada employees: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Other Federal Agencies FAQs

Union Activities FAQs

The Government of Canada has announced an official global travel advisory: avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice. This impacts your travel insurance coverage.

Travel benefits may be void if you decide to leave the country after these advisories have been announced.

The federal government has recommended Canadians currently outside of Canada to return as soon as possible and requires returning travelers to self-isolate for fourteen days. Government loans are available to pay for return travel arrangements. It is your responsibility to protect the health of your community. If you are not able to safely return to Canada, the government is urging Canadians to minimize contact with other people.

Most PIPSC members are covered by the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) or another private healthcare plan. These plans generally offer emergency travel benefits including out-of-country emergency healthcare and travel assistance. For travellers currently unable to return to Canada, the travel insurance has been extended. If you are:

• currently unable to return to Canada
• covered by PSHCP
• departed Canada between January 18 and March 16

Your PSHCP travel insurance is extended until further notice.  If you cannot safety return to Canada and you departed between January 18 and March 16, you will remain covered. 

Many credit card providers also offer emergency travel medical coverage, trip cancellation, and trip delay insurance when the trip is purchased with the credit card. These benefits may cover the cost of returning to Canada in the event of a travel advisory. More information on these benefits can be found by contacting your credit card provider or by checking their website. The PSHCP and most private healthcare plans do not offer this coverage.

Carriers of the virus may never have any symptoms, but may still be a danger to others. Members returning to Canada from overseas, including the United States of America, should self-quarantine for fourteen days. This is critical to preventing the spread of the virus and protecting our healthcare system.

For more information on COVID-19 for PIPSC members visit our FAQs.
 

As the government has moved to address the COVID-19 pandemic, the Treasury Board has repeated that some “critical” services must be delivered from the workplace. 

Government employers and media are using the term “essential” alongside “critical.” This has created confusion for members looking to understand how their managers are making decisions and how it will impact working conditions. 

Telework directives have not been applied universally or at the same speed across departments and agencies in the public service. This is extremely worrying for many since this will impact their health and safety, family life and overall well-being. Along with putting the greater community at risk.

PIPSC and other federal unions have asked the Treasury Board to clarify the definitions of the terms “critical services” and “critical staff.”

We’ve asked for clarification on how managers are to make staffing decisions based on these designations. The Treasury Board has agreed to address this in their upcoming directives. We will share this information with you as soon as it is available.

“Essential” and “critical” are not the same thing

The term essential service is used to describe the employees that must continue their work in the context of collective bargaining and potential labour disruptions. If a worker has been designated as essential in the past, it has no part in determining whether they must work from home or the workplace during this global pandemic.

What if I disagree with my manager’s decision to continue working in the workplace?

Some members have reported that they have been asked to continue their operations from their workplace but they think they could easily do the work from home. In other cases, members have been asked to go into the workplace to continue work they don’t think is necessary for critical government operations.

In these cases, if you cannot reach a resolution with your manager or supervisor please fill out our help form to be directed to our Labour Relations team.

COVID-19 HELP FORM

If you are asked to physically go into work and feel that the appropriate precautions aren’t being taken by the employer, you have the right to refuse dangerous work. The nature of the pandemic is different across regions and workplaces so the risk varies and some members provide essential services. Each case must be assessed individually, please contact us now for assistance with this evaluation: https://pipsc.ca/news-issues/information-members-regarding-covid-19-coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-help-form

Along with the Canadian labour movement, PIPSC is calling on federal and provincial governments to provide immediate income support for workers impacted by the crisis.

“This is a time for solidarity and leadership,” said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. “We have to take care of each other through this pandemic and economic downturn.”

We are calling on the federal government to immediately increase EI to support all workers and families to cope with the COVID-19 crises:

• Increase EI support to 80% of weekly wages under the current income cap.
• Implement a $300/week minimum EI benefit.
• Provide EI support to claimants immediately, as soon as the claims process begins, so they don’t go without funds.

We know that Indigenous communities already face higher levels of contagious illness compared to the Canadian population as a whole. We call on all levels of government to take quick action to ensure Indigenous communities have all the resources necessary to combat COVID-19.

We join the Canadian Labour Congress in calling on all governments and employers to take every step necessary to protect workers. These measures include:

• Permitting flexible work arrangements, telecommuting, video and teleconferencing, ending non-essential travel, and postponing unnecessary meetings and events.
• Providing paid sick leave under short-term disability and sick leave plans while maintaining drug coverage.
• Providing 14 days paid sick leave for workers under prevailing federal, provincial and territorial labour standards to cover the quarantine period. 
• Waiving any requirement for a doctor’s note to permit sick leave.
• Prohibiting coronavirus testing as a condition of continued employment.
• Working with Service Canada to take full advantage of the improved EI Work-Sharing Program to minimize layoffs.
• Working closely with health and safety committees and unions to provide accurate and timely information to employees about accessing benefits and support.
• Providing compassionate care and bereavement leave support to employees, as well as mental health counselling and support.

Specific to healthcare workers, employers should, among other things:

1. Provide an adequate supply of appropriate N95 respirators on hand as well as PAPR (for aerosol-generating procedures, e.g. intubation) and other personal protective equipment.

2. Conduct a risk assessment to determine all points of potential entry (and how to restrict them) and other points of potential exposure for workers (e.g. screening, triage, isolation rooms).

“As this situation evolves, many of our members, especially the ones in the healthcare sector like our nurses in northern and indigenous communities, will bear the brunt of responding to this pandemic,” said Daviau. “We are proud to represent members who will do everything in their power to keep Canadians safe and healthy.”

Learn more

These are exceptional circumstances and they call for exceptional measures.
 

Update as of March 15 from the Treasury Board Secretariat: 

Managers are expected to consider telework for all their employees, at all worksites, and should work with them to identify an approach that is as flexible as possible while ensuring continued critical government operations and services to Canadians.  

Consistent with deputy head accountabilities, departments and agencies are asked to identify and determine how best to manage through exceptional situations (critical services requiring on-site presence; security limitations; or other operational imperatives for which no reasonable alternative to working on-site can be considered) that do not lend themselves to telework. 

Update as of March 14: 

PIPSC has been getting daily, sometimes hourly, updates from the employer and through our stewards and consultation teams.

President Daviau will continue to urge the Treasury Board to do everything in its power to ensure worksites are safe and the wellness of members is the top priority for those who are unable to telework at this time.

On March 13, Deputy Heads, Heads of Agencies (including separate employers), and Heads of Human Resources were asked to make arrangements to allow telework wherever possible. We expect this to take a number of days to arrange as this situation continues to evolve. It will likely be applied differently across departments and agencies due to the nature of their work.

Telework

The employer is striving to be as flexible as possible in leveraging all existing telework and alternative work arrangements in line with operational requirements.

President Daviau has raised concerns about access to VPN and the adequacy of IT infrastructure to support this change to work. We’ve been assured that the Treasury Board, Shared Services Canada and the Chief Information Officers are working to support remote work and prioritize network access tied to critical operations.

Leave

If you are in good health but are required by public health to self-isolate, please discuss telework with your manager. If telework is not possible, you will be granted leave with pay – under “other leave with pay (699 code)” as per your collective agreement.

Sick leave should be used in the case that you are ill. 

School closures

Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Manitoba have announced school closures, and more provinces might enact similar measures. If you are unable to arrange childcare, please discuss telework with your manager. If telework is not possible, you will be granted leave with pay -– under “other leave with pay (699 code).”

This provision will be available for the duration of any school closures and reassessed by the employer on April 10, 2020. 

Travel

You must declare your intent to travel to your manager and take all precautions advised by public health with regard to restrictions and self-quarantine. An official global travel advisory is in effect: avoid non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice.

Worksites

PIPSC is working closely with our stewards and consultation teams to ensure worksites are safe for members. If a possible or confirmed COVID-19 case occurs, our team is working quickly to ensure all members are safe and informed.

If you are working in a Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) building and may have a possible or confirmed COVID-19 case, please immediately contact PSPC’s National Service Call Centre. A response plan will be put in place immediately.

Mental health

The wellness of our members is always important, but at times like these, stress may become overwhelming. The employer is preparing extra resources to support teams across the government. 

Contact the 24-7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or your departmental coordinator, access care through the Public Service Healthcare Plan (PSHP), or use the nationwide Specialized Organizational Services (SOS).

Union support

This situation is evolving and changing rapidly. PIPSC staff and stewards are able to support you if you have any concerns. 

We encourage you to contact a steward by email or phone if you require support. 

This is an evolving situation

This situation is constantly evolving, PIPSC will cooperate with the Treasury Board, and all our group employers, to make sure that we are consulted and you are informed of any changes.

We expect to learn more over the next few hours, days and weeks. We are committed to informing you as soon as possible.

PIPSC members can find our latest updates on COVID-19: https://pipsc.ca/covid19

Government of Canada updates on COVID-19: https://www.canada.ca/covid-19

President of the Treasury Board, Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, announced on March 13 that federal employees will be allowed to telework as long as their job allows it. We are asking all PIPSC members to consult their respective managers to see how this new order applies to them.

For others whose presence at the workplace is vital to their job, we understand new directives will be sent out. Those still attending the work-site have been asked to self-monitor closely for any symptoms of the virus.

PIPSC and 14 other unions representing federal public servants called on the Treasury Board to take this action today. We are encouraged by today’s announcement. 

In a joint letter, the unions asked the Treasury Board to do its part to help “flatten the curve.” As per the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) guidelines, social distancing and proactive self-isolation are key components to mitigate the risks associated with a widespread viral outbreak.

We’ve asked for leadership from the Federal Government to make it clear to all departments and agencies that employees are encouraged to proactively self-isolate.

Furthermore, it must be clear that:

• Employees who self-isolate as per the PHAC guidelines and who are not able to telework are to be granted discretionary leave with pay in respect of circumstances not directly attributable to the employee. Such employees should not be forced to use personal leave, sick leave or go without pay if they are otherwise able to work.
• To facilitate telework, departments and agencies must provide for teleconference and other virtual meeting options.

PIPSC will be meeting with the President of the Treasury Board in the coming days. 

We have been getting daily updates from across the government. And we are concerned that potential and positive cases of COVID-19 have not been adequately communicated to public servants. We are asking that management be provided with the tools needed to quickly enact plans for these situations. 

With the increase in teleworking, we are raising our concerns regarding access to VPN and the adequacy of the IT infrastructure to support this change to work. 

For PIPSC members outside of the federal public service

PIPSC President Debi Daviau has sent a letter to all employers with PIPSC members on March 13 to clarify leave options and has strongly encouraged them to arrange remote work wherever possible. 

We expect to learn more over the coming days and will inform our members as soon as possible. 

PIPSC members can find our latest updates on COVID-19: https://pipsc.ca/covid19

Government of Canada updates on COVID-19: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html