At the time of writing this, we had not yet emerged from the pandemic, and public health measures were still in place in several regions of Canada. As elected to your union, we continue to maintain our own measures to prevent unfortunate incidents from happening to our members and your families. For example at the Board of Directors we decided to keep our local union events held in virtual mode until September, and until the end of October for larger events. We also asked for proof of vaccination after September 17th.
Before the pandemic, we were all worried about how the government was proceeding with the deployment of “GC Workspaces”. The pandemic has prompted us to adapt quickly to telecommuting. Employers quickly issued guidelines to guide supervisors in handling the situation. We now need to review the experience and question what working conditions will be like in the future.
Open spaces and GC workspaces are stressful for workers. Proximity, ventilation, noise and distractions were already known issues. The hygiene of the premises combined with the principles of shared spaces are worrying concerns following the pandemic.
Teleworking has provided workers with flexibility which was greatly appreciated, and is now requested by our members. Done on a voluntary basis in the past, we now want to allow this option to be better organize and include language in our collective agreements in order to protect these gains and clarify protocols.
More thought should also be done regarding the modus operandi. The expectations on the two sides are distinct; Managers expect an instant response 24/7, while workers want flexibility and autonomy. Workers should have the right to disconnect.
We have started discussions with some employers (including the federal TBS), in order to explore return-to-work protocols and define what the Future of Work may be.
A pilot project developed in consultation was launched at SPAC, offering a flexible mix of face-to-face and teleworking. This project could serve as the basis for defining what a return to normal after the pandemic could be.
Refs: CBC Ontario legislation
