April 6th 2020 Covid 19 Update

We had 4 section 3-31’s called and all 4 were denied by the provincial OHS, all 4 are being appealed.

We still have 12 members in isolation/quarantine, 8 have been tested and all have come back negative, thank goodness for that!

We had discussions with the employer on quite a few issues that have come up over the last few days.

On the members with cracked bleeding hands from the sanitizer get a hold of me we’re working on a solution for you. I know Giles Procyshyn was one if there’s others let me know.

We discussed the issue of those of you wanting to do some extra disinfecting of your work station before leaving the garage and have nothing to clean with, over the next few days you’ll start seeing spray bottles in some of the buses and at the front of each track with the hospital grade disinfectant that the utility staff and the other members are using to sanitize the bus each night.

We are working with the employer and a manufacturer locally to purchase masks for our members the plan is to get everyone 2 masks that are washable and reusable for at least 200 uses, I don’t have a date yet of arrival we’re in the process of getting price, estimated arrival all sorted out still.

Some of the buses still don’t have the “Skip The Seats” signs in them, they are checking which buses don’t have signs and will be installing them over the next day or so. We’ve asked them to properly space the signs out to represent the 6.5 feet of social distancing that we’re supposed to be doing.

We’ve heard multiple complaints from night operators about homeless and vulnerable people riding the bus, we suggested getting more supervisors out, using reliefs and start enforcing the Essential Rides and get the people on the buses that need it. I was talking with one of our Essential riders (a nurse) this morning on my bus, she told me that she’s considering taking a cab or finding a ride home in the evening because she’s tired of riding with the people that are on the bus because they have nowhere to go and are just causing trouble, she also said to pass on a thank you to all the brave bus drivers that continue to serve even though it’s so scary out here!

In this conversation with management I expressed the importance of just allowing Essential Rides for Essential Workers and Essential Travel, I will be speaking with the city manager tomorrow and expressing the same sentiment.

We need to flatten the curve or we’re in some serious trouble it’s time for upper administration to get just as serious.

Your Executive Board