Workers
in the Heat of the Fight to Curb COVID-19 Protecting Quebec Workers in the Face of Increasing Workplace Outbreaks
- Interview, Ann Gingras - 
Ann Gingras is President of the
Central Council of the Quebec City--Chaudière-Appalaches
Region of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), which
represents approximately 45,000 members in all sectors including
health, education, construction, public services, trade and
manufacturing. Workers' Forum: The
National Public Health Institute of Quebec reports that there is
increasing spread of COVID-19 in workplaces in Quebec. Are you
experiencing this in your region? Ann
Gingras: Yes we are. During the first wave, we
were basically spared. We had very few cases in the Quebec City region
and even less in Chaudière-Appalaches, but we are being hit
by the second wave. We see it through community transmission, which
also means in workplaces, like health care, obviously, but now also in
the private sector. There was an outbreak at the Davie shipyard, and an
unprecedented outbreak at the Olymel slaughterhouse in
Vallée-Jonction.  Fortunately,
there are workplaces that have set up a bubble operation, or that have
reviewed the organization of work stations. But as far as the unions
are concerned, it is a daily struggle to ensure that personal
protective equipment is available in sufficient quantities and that
safety standards are met.
WF:
What is the work of the Central Council to curb the spread of COVID-19?
AG: First of all, we
provide a vast amount of information and support to union executives at
the local level. For example, in the spring, we had
to do a lot of work, with all the policies announced at the level of
the Quebec government or the federal government, in terms of monetary
supports for those impacted by the pandemic. Just to untangle all the
information and create a readable document that is available to our
members was quite a job. We had to update it almost every week because
policies were changing or being added. It was necessary to reach out to
as many people as possible so that they could use existing services,
especially in the hospitality sector where people are unemployed and
where the future of many hotels is threatened, as well as in the
restaurant sector, which is hit very hard. As far
as protective equipment is concerned, during the first wave, especially
in the health sector, managers of the health institutions were not
ready. There was not enough personal protective equipment. There was
quite a rush at the beginning to get the necessary equipment and in
sufficient quantity. During this second wave, the protective equipment
situation still has to be monitored. One must always make sure that
there is no shortage, in the health sector and in general in workplaces.
There have been many reports to the Labour Standards, Pay
Equity and Workplace Health and Safety Board (CNEEST) either about
health standards that were not respected or personal protective
equipment that was missing. I must say that CNEEST is reticent in terms
of the notices it can issue to companies or establishments. It may send
an inspector to come and inspect the premises, but it is very rare that
it takes action against an employer. As far as we are concerned,
people's health is not something that is negotiable. With
the reopening of the schools in September, the unions had to be
vigilant. One of our major concerns is the support staff. The teachers
are extremely important, but the support staff are very important too.
For example, we had to make sure that school bus drivers were
protected. School bus drivers are often older and therefore more at
risk. Ways had to be found to ensure that they were protected while
they were managing what was happening on their buses. There
is also a need to ensure that support staff in school service centres
(former school boards) are protected. I'm thinking particularly of the
educators in the daycare services in schools. They are exhausted. There
is a wave of resignations. The government has very little concern for
these people. The concept of the classroom bubble doesn't hold up in
childcare. They are looking after children who come from different
bubbles. We need to minimize the groups, have fewer children per
educator. It is being reduced to a question of cost. Yes, there are
costs, but what about the social cost we are paying with the number of
people leaving the system or getting sick? The educators tell us that
they are being turned into police, spending their day telling children
what they can't do. They are not able to play their role as educators.
Also, there is the way that the Ministry of Families is
managing the issue of home childcare providers. It's havoc for these
women. These are women who take care of children at home. The added
health requirements have lengthened their work day, with the
disinfection of their homes at the end of the day, for example. They
are underpaid, especially with the added hours. In the region, there
are 200 women who have left the daycare system. As
far as teachers are concerned, they have had to reorganize and learn
how to give online courses. They have to control a course that is given
online. They are not computer technicians. They are college teachers.
They have to fight for resources, for example, to reduce the number of
student in a course. There are institutions that have taken advantage
of the situation to enlarge the classes. For example, at Laval
University, lecturers normally teach groups of 100 students. They are
now giving courses to 300. The university says it's an online course so
the lecturer is able to take more students. Teachers don't just have to
teach the material, they also have to answer students' questions.
Institutions should not take advantage of the situation to put such a
burden on the teacher as they have done. WF:
Do you want to add anything in conclusion? AG:
It is important during this pandemic that we are able to implement the
instructions issued by public health so as to express our social
solidarity. But obeying public health instructions does not mean that
we should stop demanding our rights and respect in our workplaces. One
cannot be traded for the other. We always thought
that the concept of workers as being disposable was something of the
past, that we had overcome this way of seeing things. Unfortunately,
for many workers things have come full circle with the pandemic.
This is posing a real challenge to us during this second wave.
This article was published in
Number 75 - November 5, 2020
Article Link:
Workers
in the Heat of the Fight to Curb COVID-19: Protecting Quebec Workers in the Face of Increasing Workplace Outbreaks - Interview, Ann Gingras
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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