Our Fellow UWOSA Members,
Based on Doug Ford’s provincial order https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/03/ontario-orders-the-mandatory-closure-of-all-non-essential-workplaces-to-fight-spread-of-covid-19.html and President Shepard’s announcement on the Western website https://www.uwo.ca/coronavirus/updates/latest.html, to move to an essential services model, the UWOSA office located in UCC is now closed.
The Executive Committee continues to meet. Meg Perinpanayagam, President and Nikki Grozelle, Chief Steward are working virtually to answer your questions regarding COVID-19, the University’s response to COVID-19, and any and all labor-related questions.
As the University remains open, at minimal levels on campus and virtually in all of your homes, we are also available to field questions pertaining to:
* our members in term positions that may be ending
* our members in notice, preferential placement, displacement and recall
* vacant positions and the status of the application process
* voluntary retirement package recipients
* our members that are entering or exiting secondments
Please email us at info@uwosa.ca and we ask for your patience. We will get to every single email and will continue to advocate to Western Human Resources to ensure that concerns brought forward are addressed.
What is a UWOSA Member To Do:
1. If you have been working virtually at home, continue to work virtually at home. Seek direction regarding work assignments from your immediate supervisor.
2. If you received an email from your supervisor to physically report to work on Western’s campus, report to work, unless you feel unwell and then complete the Absence Reporting Form in MyHR.
3. If you are required to report to work, and have received a message from your supervisor to continue to report to work on Western’s campus, Article 41 of our collective agreement will apply to you, as a global pandemic is considered an emergency. Jane O’Brien, Vice President, Western Human Resources continues to stress the importance of safety for all members, those required to work on campus, and those working from home.
These are unprecedented times. The University remains open. There are students still living on campus in residences. There are animal care facilities that must remain open. There is equipment that must remain standardized and calibrated. There is biological research and COVID-19 research that must continue.
As we learn more, we will continue to post to this website, so that all members, are able to read how our Union continues to support all of us during this rapidly changing work environment.
In Solidarity,
~ Meg Perinpanayagam (President), Nikki Grozelle (Chief Steward), James Taron (Secretary), Karen McDonald (Treasurer), Jen Heidenheim (Membership Services Officer), and Rob Harbottle (Health and Safety Officer)
