This email is intended for faculty members who teach in programs that require on campus classes.
With the start of the W22 term and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, we would like to address any potential health and safety concerns you have at this time. Although the college, as a post-secondary institution, is not required to respect physical distancing in instructional spaces, some work environments may be deemed unsafe based on numbers of students and staff in the area and lack of appropriate PPE.
Recently, one of the Ontario colleges organized an unsafe work refusal, filed a workload grievance and made a Ministry of Labour (MOL) complaint. Their rationale for doing so was based on the following: class sizes with no social distancing, N95 masks not provided, no method of contact tracing and a generalized fear about consequences of reporting. The outcome of their efforts has resulted in immediate changes to the work environments that include: decreased student/staff numbers in the lab and availability of N95 masks.
This shows that, as always, you are the greatest advocate for your workplace health and safety and that together, we can make significant improvements in our workplace. If you feel that the conditions that you are being put in are unsafe in any way, you should always raise these concerns by reaching out to us at healthandsafety@OPSEUlocal415.org
In solidarity,
Judy Flieler & Ken Hill
Local 415 JOHSC Faculty Representatives (Woodroffe)