May 20 Meeting

Hi Everyone,

We will be having a general meeting on May 20 at 6:30. The meeting will take place on Zoom.

To get the link and password, contact a member of the executive.

If you are unable to attend but have questions, please forward them to any executive member.
Thank You

In Solidarity
Denise
CUPE 402-02 Chair
Surrey Library workers

 

EI and CERB Webinar

Hi,

The City of Surrey with Service Canada has arrange for information sessions for staff that are temporarily laid-off.

The information is below.

In Solidarity,

Sandra


From: Sangha, Mandy <MSangha@surrey.ca>
Sent: May 7, 2020 10:49 AM
To: SURREY PUBLIC LIBRARY <SURREYPUBLICLIBRARY2@surrey.ca>
Subject: Register for the EI and CERB Webinar

Arrangements have been made for Service Canada to host information/webinar sessions to help guide staff, who have been temporarily laid-off, through the Employment Insurance and CERB benefits application processes.  There will also be a Q&A at the end of the webinar for participants to ask general questions via chat directly to the moderator.

The 1-1.5 hour sessions will give an overview of the two programs, the eligibility requirements, and how to apply.

Please register for the EI and Canada Emergency Response Benefit Webinar.

The webinar sessions will take place on the following days:

  • Session 1: Thursday, May 14 at 11:00am
  • Session 2: Thursday, May 21 at 11:00am
  • Session 3: Tuesday, May 26 at 11:00am

To attend a webinar, please complete the online registration form. Please note: webinar spaces are limited. Registration closes the day prior to each session at 11am.

Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with the link to join within 24 hours of the information session.

To make any changes to your registration date, please contact HumanResources@surrey.ca

Thank you,

Mandy

MANDY SANGHA, BBA, CPHR | MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES

SURREY LIBRARIES

10350 University Drive, Surrey, BC, Canada V3T 4B8
T 604.598.7415 | www.surreylibraries.ca

May 7 – update

Hi Everyone,

The executive is confirming details of another Zoom meeting later in the month. The meeting invite will be sent through our email list.

On May 6, Surinder sent an update to the Surrey Libraries staff. Please see the update below,

In Solidarity,

Sandra


From: Bhogal, Surinder <Sbhogal@surrey.ca>
Sent: May 6, 2020 8:31 PM
To: SURREY PUBLIC LIBRARY <SURREYPUBLICLIBRARY2@surrey.ca>
Subject: Message from Chief Librarian: Provincial Announcement on Restart Plan and Re-opening Surrey Libraries

Hi Everyone,

Many of you will have seen today’s announcement from the provincial government on the restart plan. Key goals of the plan are to :

  • Protect lives by suppressing transmission as low as possible for our at-risk populations;
  • Ensure our health system has capacity to provide quality care to non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 patients alike;
  • Alleviate the physical, social and mental health challenges that come with restricting social interaction; and
  • Rebuild a resilient economy and provide supports for people to safely return to work; and, į Strengthen the social fabric of our families and communities.

For employers,  recommendations are to review:

  • Physical distancing measures – measures to reduce the density of people.
  • Engineering controls – physical barriers (like plexiglass at checkouts), or increased ventilation.
  • Administrative controls – clear rules and guidelines.
  • Personal protective equipment – e.g. use of non-medical masks

They have suggested Libraries could restart in phase 1, starting mid-May onwards. I was on a call with 55 Library Directors from across the Province this afternoon, and most libraries are not ready to open their buildings to the public in mid-May. With this announcement, we may expect public pressure to reopen; however, we need time to ensure our workplaces and procedures are in place for a safe return to work for staff, before the public are reintroduced to the branches. We have started drafting reopening plans (and many of the provincial recommendations are already considered), with a curbside delivery option as the first phase.  We will be discussing draft plans with the Union and H+ S Committee over the next few days and look forward to sharing drafts with you for input and comment.

To clarify, public libraries were not ordered to shut down by the Province. The closure decisions were made at a local government level, as will be the reopening decisions. Our reopening plans will need to be reviewed by the City’s Emergency Operations Centre, Council and the Library Board.  Some of the factors considered will be our ability to comply with provincial orders, public demand, financial viability, and ensuring staff and public safety. We are working on many of these details and most certainly will not be ready in mid-May – one of the first steps is to bring some of our staff back.

With the easing of restrictions, as we begin to gradually reintroduce more services, we will be able to bring more laid-off staff back to work. As it will be a phased approach to reopening, we will start to recall staff in phases, based on staffing requirements for each phase. We will work with the union on the details of recalling staff back to work.

I’m very excited by this announcement and looking forward to seeing more of our colleagues back at work. We will work together to ensure our workplaces are safe and that we can continue to support our community through this crisis.

The complete plan can be reviewed here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/bc-restart-plan

I plan to send weekly updates to staff moving onwards – please don’t hesitate to ask me if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Surinder

SURINDER BHOGAL | CHIEF LIBRARIAN

Day of Mourning – April 28

Hi Everyone,

 

On April 28 it is the Day of Mourning. Below is information about what is happening this year to commemorate those that have been killed,  injured, or suffered illness as a result of their work.

 

Thanks,

Sandra


Sisters, Brothers and Friends,

Tuesday, April 28th is the Day of Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured on the Job.

Please find below a link for the New Westminster & District Labour Council virtual ceremony. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to gather in person this year. But it is because of the unprecedented risks to health and safety that workers are facing right now that we felt it was imperative to mark the day, remember those we have lost to a workplace injury, stand with those who have suffered a serious injury, and honour the dedication and commitment of first responders, healthcare and front line workers as they go to work every day as others stay home to flatten the curve and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OfRkYjuQgoyodg_stP9hdvbQFkb9L9Qs

Attached is a copy of the ceremony program, which runs about 30 minutes. It has been sent out early so that you can schedule time for remembrance on Tuesday. We are very grateful to everyone who participated, especially to the union leaders whose members are among those on the front lines right now: Coleen Jones, Pacific Region Director of the CUPW; Stephanie Smith, President of the BCGEU; Val Avery, President HSABC; Barb Nederpel, President of the HEU; and Kim Novak, President of UFCW 1518.

We also invite you to join with us at 7:00pm on April 28th to light a candle or turn on a light to remember the fallen, rededicate yourself to health and safety at work, and to honour those on the front lines right now.

We appreciate the words of Dr. Bonnie Henry: stay safe, maintain a physical distance, wash your hands and be kind.


Subject: Day of Mourning Information – BC Federation of Labour

 

To:        BCFED Standing Committees

              BCFED Workers’ Compensation Advocacy Working Group

 

Dear Friends,

 

I wanted to let you know about the plans for this year’s commemoration of the National Day of Mourning on April 28.

 

As you know, the National Day of Mourning honours the memory of workers who have been killed, injured, or suffered illness as a result of their work. This is one of the most sacred days on our calendar.

 

It causes all of us real pain to know we can’t gather in person this year because of the pandemic – which is itself a reminder of the dangers facing working people. But this date is too important for us to allow it to go unmarked.

 

So once again we are co-sponsoring the Day of Mourning along with the WCB, the Business Council of BC and the Vancouver and District Labour Council. This year, instead of a face-to-face event, we will be observing the day with a virtual ceremony. It begins at 10:30 am on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.

 

Please join us then at https://DayOfMourning.bc.ca. And encourage friends, colleagues and members to come too. We may be separated by this pandemic, but we can still be together in grief, condolence and solidarity.

 

We’ll mourn the dead and fight for the living. That means we recommit to our efforts to protect the safety and well-being of working people by:

 

  • Improving workplace health and safety;
  • Rigorously enforcing occupational health and safety regulations – and holding those who violate them to account;
  • Preserving the dignity of the thousands of workers who suffer injury or illness; and
  • Ensuring full compensation to those who have been hurt at work.

 

Together, we’ll do all we can to reach the goal I know you and I share: a province where every worker can go home safe and healthy at the end of every workday.

Information Links Covid assistance

Hi Everyone,

During the meeting on Wednesday, different support programs were mentioned. Here are links to some helpful resources for those laid off.

Coronavirus & Benefits for Workers: The 3-Minute Summary – web page from people’s law school explaining EI, CERB, and the provincial benefit.

Fortis BC –  COVID-19 Customer Recovery Fund

BC Hydro – COVID-19 Relief Fund for residential customers

Stay Safe,
Sandra