Covid-19 Protecting yourself

As per Ontario Public Health – Four moments of hand hygiene https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/4-moments-poster- series.pdf?la=en

As per Toronto Public Health

When clean running water is available, wash your hands with plain soap and water and dry thoroughly.

Follow these steps for perfectly clean hands:

  1. Wet hands.
  2. Apply soap.
  3. Lather for 15 seconds. Rub between fingers, back of hands, fingertips, under nails.
  4. Rinse well under running water.
  5. Dry hands well with paper towel or hot air blower.
  6. Turn taps off with paper towel, if available.

Read more https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/9975-tph-handwashing_poster_eng_Dec_2012_aoda.pdf#page=1

100th Anniversary of the Winnipeg General Strike

Winnipeg, MB – Over the weekend, organized labour in Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. The Immediate post-World War 1 period in Canada was not a time of peace. Soldiers returned home wanting jobs and a normal lifestyle again, only to find factories shutting down and soaring unemployment. Corporate profiteering fed inflation and a high cost of living. Poor factory working conditions caused worker unrest.

The Value of member engagement!

“IAM political action committee members know the value of member engagement,” explains Derek Ferguson, IAM Special Representative for Political Action. “The more members who are actively engaged in our workplaces – the more power we have at the bargaining table. The more members who speak up on issues that matter in our communities, the more power we have to get our governments to prioritize the needs of working people.” Often it is hard for members to grasp that there is a connection between collective bargaining and political action. There is a direct connection between negotiating a pension into your collective agreement and lobbying the government to protect that pension if the employer goes bankrupt, as an example.

The full story (with photo) is here:

http://www.iamaw.ca/the-value-of-member-engagement

Non-Standard Work Hours

Our 24/7 economy demands 24/7 labour. Instead of working 9 to 5, many workers work 5 to 9 to make ends meet. But at what cost?

Non-standard hours of work are not only inconvenient, but a growing number of studies indicate they are harmful to workers’ minds and bodies. Taken all together, studies show non-standard shifts can lead to a host of health issues including digestive disorders, pregnancy complications, heart problems, and even cancer.

Non-standard work hours include shift and night work, week-end work, split shifts, on-call work, compressed work weeks, and extended hours. In Canada, in addition to working excessive hours, as much as 30 per cent of the workforce are now engaged in non-standard hours.

For the full article click here