Health Care Workers Are Entitled to the Highest Level of Protection Possible -
Interview, Marjolaine Aubé -
Marjolaine
Aubé is President of the Union of
Workers at the Integrated Health and Social Services Centre of Laval
(CISSS de Laval-CSN). Workers'
Forum: What is the situation at the CISSS in Laval
regarding the outbreaks of COVID-19? Marjolaine
Aubé: We are recovering
from an outbreak at the Idola-Saint-Jean residential and long-term care
centre (CHSLD) during which 31 patients
and 35 workers were infected, including orderlies and
housekeeping staff. Sixteen patients died and the others
recovered. There were no deaths among the employees. All of them
recovered, but some
have after-effects such as headaches, shortness of breath and chronic
fatigue. Employees and patients in Idola-Saint-Jean are being tested
three times a week. So far, the outbreak has subsided. At
the CHSLD Fernand-Larocque, we have had two workers infected.
For the moment, we have no other cases of infection.
However, we fear a resumption of outbreaks after the holiday season if
public health rules are not respected. WF:
What are your main demands right now to curb
COVID-19? MA:
Our main demand is that adequate
personal protective equipment be provided to health care workers. We
have in mind mainly N95 masks to counter the aerosol transmission of
the virus, the airborne transmission. More and more researchers and
organizations are saying that COVID-19 is also transmitted by aerosols,
especially in closed, overcrowded rooms without adequate ventilation.
The World Health Organization, the Public Health Agency of Canada and
other organizations have reported the risk of aerosol transmission. In
our CISSS, many ventilation systems are outdated, especially in
our CHSLDs and even more so
in our Youth Centre. We want the N95 mask to be accessible to all
health care personnel. For now, the National Institute of Public Health
of Quebec (INSPQ) still denies that this needs to be done. We
have received confirmation that in Laval, in a warehouse, there is
currently an inventory of 415,000 N95 masks. The inventory is
controlled by the government. We are only allowed to have N95 masks in
certain cases; for example, in Intensive Care if the patient is
intubated. We made an offer to the CEO to do a pilot project in Laval.
We
want to provide all staff in the red zones with N95 masks to see if it
will make a difference. We hope the pilot project will go ahead. We are
also asking for ventilation reports everywhere, an air quality
assessment. We filed a complaint with Labour Standards, Pay Equity and
Workplace Health and Safety Board (CNESST) about the red zone at
Fernand-Larocque and they had to improve the air quality. With
respect to the CNESST, the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN)
filed a motion in
court requesting a ruling that the CNESST inspectors must do their job
according to the law and not just on the basis of INSPQ
recommendations. The complaint is not directed against CNESST per
se,
but to reinforce its adherence to the Occupational Health and
Safety Act (OHSA). CNESST inspectors tell us that it is no
longer
the law that takes precedence in their work but the recommendations of
the INSPQ, which change regularly. However, the health and safety
legislation requires that employers provide all necessary protections
to ensure the health and safety of workers and CNESST is bound to
enforce the
law. We are also advocating the creation of a
public
enterprise in Quebec for the production of PPE, laboratory equipment
and respirators. It is not right that we should be dependent on anyone,
multinational corporations or countries, when it comes to having the
necessary equipment. We must be self-sufficient in this area. This
proposal was put
forward by a CSN union advisor and the executive of the CSN union at
the McGill University Health Centre and we fully support it. WF:
Do you want to say something in conclusion? MA:
Our slogan is "We're not giving up on
anything!" We're fighting for N95 masks and we're fighting for
everything that concerns the health and safety of workers and the
public. 
This article was published in
Number 79 - November 19, 2020
Article Link:
Health Care Workers Are Entitled to the Highest Level of Protection Possible -
Interview, Marjolaine Aubé
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
|
