As the recent disaster in Haiti has shown, earthquakes leave a path of destruction and chaos in their wakes. Many populated areas of North America sit on high-risk earthquake zones and survival often hinges on being prepared. Share with your co-workers these 12 tips for earthquake preparedness at home:

1. Go through your house, imagining what would happen to each appliance, piece of furniture and section of the structure in case of a quake. Check chimneys, fireplaces and foundations. Note danger zones and items to be removed, repaired or secured.
2. Secure the hot water heater and other appliances so they will not move enough to break natural gas or electrical lines.
3. Rearrange rooms so beds and couches are away from windows, heavy pictures, mirrors and hanging planters.
4. Move items on shelves so heavy items are near the floor.
5. Secure tall furniture so it won’t topple over.
6. Keep flammable liquids and other hazardous materials such as pesticides outside the house, in a garage or shed.
7. Have regular quake drills with your family. Practice going to safer places in each room – under tables or against inside walls. Also point out the danger spots – near windows, hanging items such as mirrors or paintings, fireplaces and high furniture or shelves.
8. Establish a contact telephone number of a reliable relative or friend outside your state or province. If family members are separated by a disaster, they will call this telephone number when phone service is restored.
9. Place a flashlight at each bedside and throughout the house to help you find your way if the earthquake puts out the power.
10. Get in the habit of keeping a pair of shoes beside the bed. This will help you make your way to safety if there is broken glass and other debris.
11. Teach all responsible family members how to shut off the utilities in your home – natural gas, electricity and water.
12. Set up an emergency survival kit and store it someplace easy to find. A clean plastic garbage can with a tight-fitting lid is a good container for your emergency kit. It should include a three-day supply of bottled water, canned food, a can opener, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, a first aid kit and manual, warm clothing, sturdy shoes, cash including coins, photos of family and friends, three days’ of prescription medicines and extra eyeglasses. Sanitation supplies and special items needed to care for infant, disabled or elderly family members should be included.

Here’s an interesting article relating to workplace bullying which was posted in the Toronto Star last November. The reporter is Janis Foord Kirk.

Getting stepped on at work

“She loved the work at first, ” a worried husband confides. “But now she drags herself in every day. A couple of people who’ve worked there for years seem to have it in for her. I can’t believe some of their antics. “Is this workplace bullying?” he asks. “And if it is, what can she do about it?”

Bullying is one of the fastest-growing complaints of workplace violence, according to the International Labour Office. It runs the gamut from extreme violence, even murder, to intimidation and snide remarks.

The psychological harassment of a co-worker tends to fall into the latter category. And when two or more people join forces to lie, gossip, criticize and socially isolate a specific employee, the ILO says, it’s called “mobbing” or “ganging up.”

Valerie Cade is a workplace bully expert based in Calgary who consults internationally on the issue. “It’s important to distinguish between workplace bullying and difficult behaviours, ” she cautions. “Bullying is deliberate, disrespectful, repeated malicious behaviour. Bullies really do know what they’re doing. This is the difference. A difficult person is just grouchy and steps on other boundaries in order to get their own needs met. But a bully will actually calculate how to embarrass and demean someone else.

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Thanks to BRUSH Committee member Gail Jewsbury (UEW 20090) for forwarding these links!

Occupational Health Advice for Federal Departments and Agencies of the Core Public Administration and their Employees – this advisory provides important recommendations for federal employees whose work duties may put them at higher risk of exposure to the H1N1 flu virus. 16 Nov 2009

Occupational Health Advice for Federal Employees Working or Traveling Outside of Canada during the H1N1 Flu Pandemic – this advisory provides advice and guidance for employees working or travelling outside of Canada.

Health Canada has published a series of Frequently Asked Questions regarding H1N1 Flu Virus – Reducing the Spread of Infections and Viruses in the Federal Workplace. These FAQs provide occupational health and safety advice and guidance to help us, as employees, meet our responsibilities in minimizing the spread of the H1N1 virus at work, and in following workplace health procedures.

Additional information from HRSDC on everyone’s responsibilities and rights in the workplace under the Canada Labour Code – Frequently Asked Questions for Employers and Employees specifically in the context of the H1N1 virus

Like all Canadians, public service employees are strongly encouraged to continue to practice good infection-prevention measures to reduce the risk of flu infection and to consult fightflu.ca to stay actively informed about the H1N1 Flu Virus.

The British Columbia Regional Union Health & Safety Committee, referred herein as the BRUSH, has developed this plan, which was approved at the last meeting, September 23 2009.

This committee shall be comprised of Health & Safety activists from across the British Columbia (BC) Region and chaired by the Health & Safety (H&S) Councilor of the B.C. Regional Council. It is expected that the Alternate BC Regional H&S Councilor will also be a standing member of this committee. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (the PSAC) staff representative to this committee shall be the Regional Representative responsible for H&S.

As this committee is devoted to the inclusion and promotion of Health & Safety, it is expected that the majority of decisions will be by consensus. In the rare event that a vote is required all participants in attendance at the meeting where voting takes place are entitled to vote.

In building this document, the committee took into consideration the strategic goals of the PSAC and ways of integrating them into the mandate and plan.

Read more in the Committee Mandate and Plan (pdf).

Minutes BRUSH September 23, 2009

Chair: Sam Wiese (Regional Councilor, H&S)

In Attendance: Louise Richard (NAT), Laura Gracie (CEIU), Bob Jackson (AGR), Tracey Shudo (CEIU), Melvin Dureen (USGE), Virginia Vaillancourt (UVAE), Monique Bakker (UEW), Gail Jewsbury ((UEW), Susan Yaciw (UTE), Kelly Megyesi (CEIU), Paul Croes (CEIU), Alice Woods (UCTE), Jim Sidel (DCL), Barry Cunningham (UCTE), Grace McIvor (NHU), Sargy Chima (CEIU) James Little (PSAC, H&S) and Kay Sinclair (REVP BC).

Regrets: Wayne Little (UTE), Leanne Hughes (NAT), Angela Marafon (UTE), Floyd Knelsen (UTE), Anita Hoffman (CEIU), Megan Adam (UEW).

Agenda

1. Review Previous Minutes
2. Terms of Reference
3. Health Canada – Reduction of Service
4. 2009 National H&S Conference
5. Question from the Membership

• Armed Members – Megan Adam
• Medical Leave – Anita Hoffman
• Big Flood – UVAE

6. Ergonomics – Furniture and Equipment
7. H1N1
8. Food Safety
9. Round Table

1. Introduction – Sam

2. Review of Previous Minutes

Members reviewed the previous minutes and there were no additions or amendments required.

3. Terms of Reference

Sam summarized the revisions to the Draft Terms of Reference and opened the floor for discussion. There were no additional amendments suggested. A vote was taken and the members in attendance have passed the Terms of Reference. Copies of the new Terms of Reference will be circulated to the members of the BRUSH and the Regional Council.

4. Health Canada Reduction of Service

Sam reported on the work that she and Wayne Little had accomplished.

Canada Revenue Agency has amended its policy on workplace accommodation and have negotiated the provision of health services (ergonomic and fit to work assessments) with and outside service provider.

Corrections Services Canada in the lower mainland has contracted its air quality and ergonomic services with a company in Langley at a rate of $175.00/hour.

As of September 10, 2009 there is no service being provided at Environment Canada.

We have not heard anything official from the Treasury Board of Canada and our suspicion is that each department will contract their own independent services. We ask that once these contracts begin to appear that members please ensure this information is shared with the BRUSH. We need to look at this issue from an equity perspective and ensure that the members are being serviced in and equitable manner.

5. 2009 National H&S Conference

One of the main purposes of this meeting was to outline the delegate selection process. Kay Sinclair explained the process and criteria as follows:
• Total Delegates = 300
• Regional Delegates (7 delegates x 7 regions = 49 regional delegates)
• Component Delegates (7 delegates x 17 components = 119 component delegates)
• Component Additional Delegates (300 – 19 – 119 = 162 delegates) the 162 additional delegate seats are allocated to the components on a pro-rata/population basis (larger components = larger portion of the 162 additional delegates)
• Observers

672 applications were received and the conference should have room for ~ 50 observers.

Kay Sinclair REVP BC is chairing the steering committee, which is continuing its work on developing the conference objectives and organizing guest speakers. Members were advised that, like previous H&S conferences, we would be holding a BC Caucus at the end of the conference to develop a Regional Action Plan. Delegates and observers will be expected to assist in the development of that plan.

6. Armed Members

A question was raised “What training or education is being offered to non-armed members who work with or near armed members”. Paul Croes provided a detailed analysis of his experiences within Customs and Immigration, and advised that threat risk assessments have been done and it has been determined that their workplaces are unsafe. Many staff have not accepted the new reality of the work place and training these members has created some difficulties. One of the big issues is Officers walking through the office with loaded hand guns. Initially, they are very careful however over time they become less vigilant and at times lazy. This has resulted in an increase in accidental discharges. The officers receive the standard operating procedures training however this training is not offered to the non-armed staff.

We reviewed procedures within differing departments.
• DFO – Has a non-gun personnel policy
• Customs – They have some armed training procedures
• Parks – Unknown at present
• CSC – All the guns are in posts and training has been provided to those in need.
• Coast Guard – Not a problem and all ammunition is held in storage.

TASK – Jim Sam and Melvin will look at current educational programs with-in departments/agencies and review for non-armed learning opportunities.

7. Medical Leave

There appears to be an increase in the number of members being forced to use their annual leave or sick leave to attend medical appointments of a recurring nature. To address this issue we looked at what the current norms within departments and agencies.

For most collective agreements you will not find leave provisions for medical/dental appointments. For Treasury Board and Agency members leave for medical/dental appointment will be found in the employers Leave With Pay Policy and as such, it does not form part of the collective agreement and is therefore not a matter that can be contested at arbitration/adjudication. This being said, the employer does allow member to take time off for medical/dental however, it is at their discretion and based on their respective Leave Without Pay Policies.

It was emphasized that if this becomes a big work place issue, members should consider using the accommodation argument as this could be seen as an attack on persons with disabilities.

8. Ergonomics

“Did you know that any equipment, divice, technical aid, provided to you for the purpose of workplace accommodation can be moved from one Branch to another or from one Department/Agency to another and that the accommodation provided can accompany you throughout your career in the Federal Public Service” – Safety, Emergency and Security management Division (SESMD), Assets Management Directorate (AMD), Corporate Serviced Brach (CSB).

Information regarding the transfer of ergonomic equipment can also be found in the Policy on the Duty to Accommodate Persons with Disabilities in the Federal Public Service.

Both articles will be posted to the BC H&S website

9. H1N1

Question was raised about vaccinations and H1N1 related sick leave.

In regards to employer provided vaccinations (flue shots), it appears that each department/agency has its own policy.

In terms of sanitation, it is widely known that hand washing is the number one means of prevention and that hand sanitizers, although somewhat effective, should only be used when hand washing is not available. In some offices they are putting hand sanitizers in the washrooms and this should be discouraged and hand washing should be encouraged.

Our front line staff is at serious risk and those with deficient immune systems should be encouraged to get vaccinated. Some departments have put in place pandemic plans in case of a serious outbreak.

If you miss work because of the flue, it will not be compensable by Workers Compensation Boards.

Employers may be sending members home or to the doctor if they are sick and we hope that this policy will also apply to all non-unionized workers/managers in the workplace.

10. Food Safety

Bob Jackson reported on some of the more recent successes of the Food Safety First campaign. The federal government recently announced a 75M dollar increase to food safety which will result in a 35 % increase in meat inspectors (70 new inspectors). Although there are still problems some very good results to report from the hard work of the Agriculture Unions campaign

www.foodsafetyfirst.ca

22 members of the Canadian public died from the Listeriosis outbreak.

11. Lightkeepers Campaign

Alice Woods (UCTE – Coast Guard – Lightkeeper) gave everyone a brief on the de-staffing of the east and west coast lighthouses. There is a petition going around and we hope you will join us in supporting this quality public service.

“This campaign is not about jobs its about safety and service”.

Meeting Adjourned

Next Meeting December 16, 2009

Attending: Megan Adam, Jamey Mills, Sharon Tieman, Bill Pleming, Jack Seto, Monica Urrutia

Continue reading or download a PDF copy of the Vancouver Area Council Meeting minutes, Sept. 22, 2009

1) AGM Planning

• October 27^th confirmed date. Location, Vancouver RO
• Discussion about putting off proposed educational/speakers until the next meeting in January in order to focus on AGM business.
• AGM agenda will include:
  • Report of Exec
  • Treasurer/Budget
  • Reports of member locals
  • Kay Sinclair and Stephen Dunsmore (to be invited) to speak on local political action and the lightstation issue
  • Will play “spot the public service” game during dinner to show how it works (still have some coffee left for prizes).
  • Elections
  • Other issues as raised/roundtable
• Food will be Indian from Saffron.
• Megan to contact Stephen Dunsmore, Monica to contact Kay Sinclair.

2) January Meeting

• Discussion was had about doing a January educational around Bill C-10, pay equity and the government’s attempt to silence unions. PSAC charter case etc.
• Suggestion to invite David Eby (on charter right to association, speech), Peter Jullian (on pay equity petition and case) and have PSAC rep speak to the charter case.
• Suggestion to hold event at a downtown venue, 5 pm after work, and promote to members and the public.
• Megan to contact Jacquie De Aguayo regarding this proposal to see if the timing would be appropriate. Will also talk to legal representative this week.
• Will ask Sam to speak with Jullian’s office about schedule in January to determine possible dates.

3) Roundtable

4) Adoption of minutes from last meeting.

Sisters and Brothers,

PSAC is providing two valuable tools for all our health and safety activists in response to the release of the 2009 Spring Report of the Auditor General. The report highlights the government’s widespread failure to comply with key requirements of the Treasury Board’s Standard for Fire Safety Planning and Fire Emergency Organization as well as the Canada Labour Code, Part II.

The Auditor General issued a very troublesome report indicating that the federal government is failing to ensure the safety of thousands of workers and the public by not properly enforcing fire safety rules and regulations.

The first document is entitled: “Tools for Workplace Actions” (pdf) and provides a complete list of all the important players in the field of Fire safety planning and fire emergency organization. The second document is entitled: “Employer Compliance Checklist” (pdf) and should be used to ensure that your employer is in compliance with the law and the Treasury Board Standard. PSAC representatives that are members of workplace health and safety committees, or have been appointed as health and safety representatives, should request from the employer a copy of the Fire Safety Plan.

We hope that these two documents will be of great assistance in pointing out violations in your workplace. We also included tips on how you can seek enforcement of these very important fire safety provisions.

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West Fraser Valley Annual General Meeting

• September 21,  5:30PM
• Knight and Day Restaurant 9677 King George Highway @ 96th Avenue
• Agenda items include election of officers

Vancouver Area Council Meeting

• September 22, 2009 5:30PM
• Vancouver Regional Office – #200 – 5238 Joyce Street, 3rd floor boardroom
• Agenda items so far include: planning for the AGM (scheduled for October 27, 2009), update on Vancouver Area Council local/branch affiliation campaign

BRUSH (Health and Safety) Committee Meeting

• September 23, 5:30PM
• Vancouver Regional Office – #200 – 5238 Joyce Street
• Members unable to attend the meeting at the Vancouver RO may join in the discussion via conference call – call the RO for details
• Agenda items: H1N1, Terms of Reference, Health Canada – Ergonomic, National H&S Conference

Minutes BRUSH June 24, 2009 (Draft)

Chair: Sam Wiese (Regional Councilor, H&S)

In Attendance: Gary Shwaluk (AGR), Wayne Little (UTE), Tracey Shudo (CEIU), Melvin Dureen (USGE), Varginia Vaillancourt (UVAE), Monique Bakker (UEW), Gail Jewsbury ((UEW), Susan Yaciw (UTE), Leanne Hughes (NAT), Angela Marafon (UTE), Susan James, James Little (PSAC, H&S) and Kay Sinclair REVP BC

Regrets: Bob Jackson (AGR), Janelle Ho-Sing (PSAC), Jamie Mills (UTE), Floyd Knelsen (UTE), Sargy Chima (CEIU)

Guest: Jayne Johns (PSAC)

Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Political Action Lobby � Jayne Johns
3. Review of Previous Minutes
4. Terms of Reference
5. 2009 BC H&S Conference Report
6. H&S Website and Communications
7. 2009 National H&S Conference
8. Education
9. Round Table

Continue reading below, or download the June 24th BRUSH Committee meeting minutes (pdf)

1. Introduction – Sam

2. Guest Speaker � Jayne Johns

The BC PSAC Region has undertaken a Member of Parliament lobbying campaign focused on the overall goals and objectives of the PSAC�s Think Public Campaign and designed towards engaging our members. The idea is to establish relationships between MP�s and our members in hopes that our members will have confidence in continuing the dialogue with their MP�s. The core issues for this campaign are; Bill C-10, Food Safety, Fish Campaign, cuts to EI, Student Hiring and Think Public.

3. Review of Previous Minutes

Members reviewed the previous minutes and there were no additions or amendments required.

4. Terms of Reference

Sam summarized the Draft Terms of Reference and opened the floor for discussion. There were a couple of amendments suggested, such as, fewer acronyms, more on education, membership and frequency of meeting.

Meeting will be held quarterly, March, June, Sept and December on the fourth Wednesday of the respective month. This will be added to the ToR.

5. Review of 2009 BC Regional H&S Conference Report

The report of the 2009 BC Regional H&S Conference was circulated by e-mail and members had an opportunity to review the final DRAFT. No comments or suggestions for amendments were received. We can now publish the report.

6. 2009 National H&S Conference

One of the main purposes of this meeting was to remind the BC H&S activists of the opportunity to apply for the 2009 National H&S Conference.

Kay Sinclair REVP BC is chairing the steering committee, which is currently working on developing the conference objectives and organizing guest speakers. The registration forms should be out soon, the resolutions deadline will be Friday, August 7th (confirmed subsequent to meeting), and they must come from a constitutionally recognized body i.e.: Area Council, Local, Woman�s committee etc.

Members were advised that, like previous H&S conferences, we will be holding a BC Caucus at the end of the conference to develop a Regional Action Plan. Members were asked to be prepared to assist in the development of that plan.

7. Education

There will be no Union School this year and although this has always been a venue for delivering H&S education, that opportunity will not be available in 2009. Further to that we requested the opportunity to hold H&S training in the North and Interior and it has been determined that the funds are not available in 2009. We hope that we will be able to provide this training during the beginning of the new education cycle, which begins in 2010.

We also discussed the need for better national H&S training and how the Joint Learning Program could assist with the delivery of a national H&S program.

Round Table

Wayne Little � Raised the very important issue about Health Canada and its newly announced decision to amend its Public Service Health Program (PSHP) and the devastating effects this decision will have on our members. For the most part the Fit to Work Assessments and Ergonomic Assessments will no longer be performed by Health Canada and the Treasury Board and Agencies will need to find alternate service providers for these services. Wayne and Sam will work on developing an information campaign on the issue.

Meeting Adjourned

Next Meeting September 23, 2009

Download the draft terms of reference for the committee here. (pdf)

2009 PSAC NATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CONFERENCE

�WORKPLACE ALLIANCES FOR HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS�

- REGULATE � AGITATE � ENFORCE -

• REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Friday, August 21, 2009
• RESOLUTIONS SUBMISSION DEADLINE : Friday, September 18, 2009
• CONFERENCE DATES: November 20 to 22, 2009
• CONFERENCE LOCATION: Sheraton Hotel, Montreal, Quebec

Download the Conference Call Out and registration package.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the 2009 PSAC National Health and Safety Conference are to:

• Examine the current state of enforcement of health and safety legislation in order to develop union-based strategies that will better protect workers.
• Strengthen the ability, knowledge and effectiveness of all PSAC activists on union and joint health and safety committees to better mobilize members around workplace issues.
• Increase the involvement of health, safety and environmental activists in the �Think Public� campaign and to join with coalitions working to defend and advance our rights.
• Better identify harassment and discuss what makes harassment a health and safety issue and propose specific preventive measures and responses that unions can take to prevent and deal with harassment at work.
• Make the connections between �The Environment� and health and safety, and propose actions that Locals and health and safety activists can do about �The Environment� in their workplaces and communities.

Here are some Q&A’s regarding upcoming changes at Health Canada.

Introduction

A full evaluation of the Public Service Health Program (PSHP) was completed in 2007/08. In light of this review, the Treasury Board Secretariat and Health Canada have agreed that the occupational health service delivery support that Health Canada provides to the federal public service through the PSHP must be adapted to ensure future sustainability for the program.

In order to do this, beginning in 2009, the PSHP is transitioning to a new program model known as the Occupational Health Medical Services model (OHMS). This transition will ensure that deputy heads can rely on Health Canada to provide occupational health support in areas that are best delivered through an internal common service. On the other hand, those services which are available elsewhere and can be delivered at the departmental level will no longer be provided by the PSHP.

While the PSHP will cease to provide some of its current services, the transition to the OHMS model will involve strengthening other services. This will improve the program�s focus on the provision of high quality and timely medical services that respond to the unique occupational health needs of the federal public service. The overriding objective of the PSHP remains excellence in service delivery.

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Here an article written by a PSAC member and published in the June 3 edition of the Terrace Standard. Tony Vincenzi is a former light house keeper (UCTE) and has been battling WCB and Sun Life since 2004. We are happy to say Tony, assisted by James Little (H&S/WCB Rep in the Victoria RO), has just been successful in winning a Section 23(3) loss of earning award from WCB.

JANUARY 4, 2004� at 14:20 hours is the recorded time that I joined a very elite circle of people. It�s the exact time I became a member of British Columbia�s permanently disabled work force.

I lost the independent life of being a member of the Canadian Coast Guard. I was relegated to a life of ongoing pain, of days of despair, of sleepless nights, and of the torment of the unknown.

It was a life admittedly I wished I could have ended on occasion.

These five years have resulted in the evolution of a completely new person. I am not able to judge if this person is of greater or lesser value than the man that was, but I do know that I have been able to become a man with which I can now live.

Physically I have aged at least 20 years. The outdoor existence that was my true nature has been forfeited. I have yet to develop a substitute, but I no longer rage at its passing. I valued my treasurers not by losing them but by enjoying them when I was able.

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The following document is available at the Treasury Board website and we are making it available here as well … download the Workplace Health and Disability Guide for Employees and Those Supporting Them (pdf)

Purpose of the guide

The primary purpose of this document is to guide you through the main aspects of health and disability support in the core public administration workplace. The guide is designed to give you an overview of what you need to know if you are absent from work for health reasons and to direct you to more detailed and comprehensive information that can be found elsewhere.

The guide is also a resource for those assisting you during your illness or return to work, such as your spouse, family, friends, or co-workers.

Content

The first sections of the guide outline basic principles related to workplace health and disability, and introduce the plans and programs.

The next sections focus on roles and responsibilities, what you need to do, and what you should expect in different situations, from well-being and disability prevention to retirement.

These sections are designed to help you quickly find useful and practical information related to your current situation.

via The Public Compensation Coalition

Our brothers and sisters from the United Steelworkers Union have completed a very moving video on the devastating effects of asbestos and the impact that changes to the WCB legislation have had upon those suffering from this disease. They have posted an excerpt from that video on �youtube�. It features the 2009 Day of Mourning event that was attended by the many PSAC delegates in Vancouver for the National Convention …

On April 22, it is estimated that millions of people in more than 180 countries will be celebrating International Earth Day. Around the world these observances will highlight both local and world wide environmental issues. Canadians will participate in Earth Day events which can include the planting of trees and native gardens, neighbourhood cleanups, workshops and seminars, concerts, eco-fairs, parades, cultural events, waste reduction projects, the implementation/expansion of environmental programs, wildlife conservation projects, and much more.

Earth Day is celebrated in schools, community and youth groups, unions, and environmental organizations.

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The observance this year of the International Day of Mourning on April 28 marks the 25th anniversary of this solemn day, marked annually to commemorate workers who have been killed, injured or made ill because of their work.

• Day of Mourning events are scheduled throughout BC, watch for posters or check back here for details.

Established first in Canada by the Canadian Labour Congress in 1984, the April 28 date was chosen to commemorate the passage of Ontario’s Workers’ Compensation Act in 1914 � the first such legislation in the country.

In December 1990, the Canadian Parliament passed the Workers Mourning Day Act and observance of the Day of Mourning became a national event. Across the country flags are flown at half-mast and a moment of silence is observed at 11 a.m. as part of the many ceremonies and observances that are conducted.

In 1996, April 28 was adopted as the International Day of Mourning and now workers from more than 100 countries join Canadians in marking the day.

The annual observance of the Day of Mourning serves to strengthen everyone’s resolve not only to establish safe conditions in the workplace for all but to demand an end to the suffering caused by hazardous working conditions.

Please take a minute to send B.C.�s Health Minister a message today.

Tell government to ensure that its private contractors provide living wages and safe working conditions to the housekeepers and food services workers responsible for keeping our hospitals clean and safe.

Why now?�� As you read this, hospital housekeepers and food services workers are in the process of taking this message to their MLAs and health authorities.� They are also bargaining with their multinational employers – Sodexo, Aramark and Compass – for family supporting wages and safe working conditions.�� But workers can’t do it alone. Government needs to take steps to ensure their contractors create the wage and working conditions for clean and safe hospitals.� And they need to hear from you.

Living wage successes in the UK, and in hundreds of U.S. cities were achieved because of people like you who took a few minutes to speak out for healthier communities, stronger local economies and quality services.

Send your message today.�� Thank you.

P.S. Be sure to check out the new TV ad.�� And take a minute to hear the stories of four workers who describe what a living wage would mean to them.

February 28, 2009 marks an important milestone, the 10^th anniversary of the International RSI Awareness Day � a day set aside each year to focus attention on repetitive strain injuries. Held on the last day of February, it is the only �non-repetitive� day on the calendar and is officially observed on February 29^th (in non-leap years, RSI Awareness Day is observed on February 28^th.) On this day, workers and their Unions participate in various activities to help raise awareness about RSI and the need for action aimed at prevention, rehabilitation and compensation.

(more…)

The publication “Workplace Health and Disability: A Guide for Employees and Those Supporting Them” is now available from the Treasury Board website.

The primary purpose of this document is to guide you through the main aspects of health and disability support in the core public administration workplace. The guide is designed to give you an overview of what you need to know if you are absent from work for health reasons and to direct you to more detailed and comprehensive information that can be found elsewhere.

The guide is also a resource for those assisting you during your illness or return to work, such as your spouse, family, friends, or co-workers.

Download Workplace Health and Disability: A Guide for Employees and Those Supporting Them here (pdf).

The conference application deadline approaches …

On behalf of the BC Regional H&S Organizing Committee I am pleased to inform you of the upcoming 2009 BC PSAC Regional Triennial Health and Safety Conference. We would like to encourage members active in Health and Safety and members who share an interest in Health and Safety issues to attend.

We hope to have 55 participants representing all areas of the region and all aspects of our union. I am sending you this application form to be completed by members wishing to attend the 2009 H&S Conference.

• Download the Conference Application form (.doc)
• Download the Conference Application form (.pdf)

Please note that a registration fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) is required from all conference participants.

If Locals have difficulties sending members because of financial constraints, please contact the PSAC Victoria Regional Office as we may be able to assist you.

The theme of this years conference, �Participation And Workplace Prevention� is intended to be of interest to those who wish to contribute to improving Health and Safety in their workplaces.

In Solidarity, James Little, Regional Representative Health and Safety