Dear Fellow UWOSA member,
First and foremost, a big thank you to all UWOSA members for proving how resilient we are and how we are working together to rise above the stress during this challenging time. We as UWOSA members are critical to Western’s mission and we should be proud of each other’s accomplishments, both at home and on campus. It is only by working together to support Western’s students, faculty, researchers, and each other that we remain strong and do our part to flatten the curve.
We want to stress the importance of being patient during the “Essential Services” model as ordered by Doug Ford and being carried out across campus by Western’s Administration. Changes are coming forth daily as Western’s administration presses onward to keep everyone on and off campus safe.
For those of you who have reached out to the UWOSA office, we thank you for your patience as well. Meg as President and Nikki as Chief Steward are working day and evening hours to ensure all member questions are being answered in a timely fashion.
The majority of our communication is through email, so please keep in mind the challenges and possibilities for misunderstanding to occur. Be extra mindful as you write that email, and please read it over before you press the send button.
SAFETY:
Safety remains our number one priority for all UWOSA members. We encourage you to take the precautions necessary to keep yourself safe while working, either remotely or on campus. This includes following the guidelines outlined by Public Health https://www.healthunit.com/novel-coronavirus.
We are all in the same situation of creating a work station at home. We encourage you to review the ergonomic information at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/hr/safety/ergo_rehab/office/index.html. We encourage you to take frequent breaks, to stand, and to stretch frequently. If you are experiencing challenges and need support, please contact your immediate supervisor or Rehabilitation Services Western for assistance https://www.uwo.ca/hr/safety/ergo_rehab/.
WORK ASSIGNMENTS:
We kindly remind members that it is your immediate supervisor’s responsibility to delegate work assignments. If you are unclear as to what work you should be doing, we encourage you to reach out to your immediate supervisor for clarification. If you are experiencing challenges, please raise these to their attention. You also have the option of contacting family.care@uwo.ca, but only after you have contacted your immediate supervisor for assistance.
The University has committed to being supportive and flexible for those with family responsibilities (infants, young children, teens, and elderly parents). If you are finding it difficult to work due to interruptions/distractions from your remote location, please notify your supervisor that you require flexibility so that together you can develop hours that meet your department deadlines and decrease what may be a stressful remote environment.
JOB POSTINGS:
Western remains open with only employees required to work on campus, physically being on campus. Therefore, vacancies continue to be posted on the job board for a minimum of seven days. We encourage you to continue monitoring the job board and apply to any positions of interest. This includes Secondments within UWOSA or outside of UWOSA.
EMBRACE NEW OPPORTUNITIES:
We encourage you to take advantage of our subscription to Linked in Learning (https://linkedinlearning.uwo.ca/) to enhance current skills or learn something new. Remember, Article 22 – Educational Assistance Plan still applies to advancing your skills, abilities, and qualifications.
ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS:
Please continue to check www.uwo.ca and www.uwosa.ca for updates. We also encourage you to access the additional resources available to you during this time: https://www.uwo.ca/coronavirus/resources.html
If you have any concerns or questions we encourage you to reach out to UWOSA directly at info@uwosa.ca so we can support you.
We wish you all safety and good health.
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)
