This plan has been developed by the PSAC Atlantic Council’s Health, Safety and Environment Committee members. The members of this committee are:
Brian Oldford
Jim Hondas
Jody LaPierre
Chris Di Liberatore
Bill Walsh
Anne Fagan-Wood
Nancy MacLean, Staff Advisor
In building this document, the committee took into consideration the strategic goals of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and ways of integrating them into the mandate and plan.
Strategic Goals of the Public Service Alliance of Canada include:
• Link globalization to members lives;
• Build membership support through effective bargaining;
• Defend membership rights against employer and corporate strategies;
• Re-empower the membership and build union solidarity;
• Organize to protect members gains;
• Defending quality public services (We’re ALL Affected Campaign);
• Deal with enforcement of environmental standards;
• Continue to bring matters of Mental Health to the forefront;
• Educate members on workplace violence (i.e. Part XX of Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations & CSA standard);
• Adopt tools that could be used in mobilizing the membership
(i.e. legislation, toolkits, awareness kit on scent-free environments, etc);
MANDATE:
• Create a safer and healthier workplace through the collective action of union health and safety activists.
• Develop and deliver the Atlantic Regional Health and Safety Conferences.
• Ensure follow-up on National Health and Safety priorities as identified as the PSAC National and Atlantic Regional Health & Safety Conferences.
• Develop ways to involve PSAC members in Environmental Issues.
• Provide on-going communications on Health & Safety issues for Atlantic PSAC members through the network.
• Promote the training of Health & Safety activists so that they remain effective in all aspects of H&S activities, in both the Union and the Workplace.
• Promote commemorative dates that pertain to health, safety and the environment such as Earth Day, RSI Awareness Day, National Injured Workers’ Day and the National Day of Mourning.
• Provide information to the Atlantic Region Council on all regional matters relating to occupational Health, Safety and Environment issues, Campaigns, Conferences, Committees, Gains and Education.
SPECIAL DAYS:
• National Day of Mourning (April 28th)
Promote activism at all levels of the Union by sending out e-mails, pamphlets and posters and asking members to take part by:
• attending and encouraging others to attend Day of Mourning events;
• draft a message for their local’s publication or website
• work with the media to promote the Day’s significance,
• write about worker monuments and cover Day of Mourning events,
• Earth Day (April 22nd)
• Promote activism by sending out e-mails and posters;
• Continue to promote activities (i.e.: recycling program / green initiative) and to take a proactive approach in the workplace;
• Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Day (February 28th)
• educate members on RSI by sending out information on symptoms, stretches, ergonomics and tips on how to prevent RSI’s
• National Injured Workers’ Day (June 1st)
• Recognize the Injured Workers’ Day;
EDUCATION:
• Monitor education to ensure that National Health, Safety & the Environment are a regular part of education schedules and pass on recommendations to the Education Committee;
• Recommend to the PSAC Atlantic Council Education Committee that a Health & Safety Course or a course under the Health & Safety program be offered at each Atlantic Union School;
• Promote via the Health & Safety network, Local Presidents, RVP/NVPs, the PSAC Atlantic’s ability to conduct training sessions on employer time and premise;
• Encourage the utilization of Alliance Facilitators to offer information sessions around Violence in the Workplace, Right to Refuse, Harassment, Security, Duty to Accommodate, Hazard Prevention Program, Environmental Sustainability, etc.;
• Promote safe work environments and encourage a proactive approach to health and safety;
• Encourage locals to utilize the PSAC website’s Health & Safety resources and tools;
• Encourage members to participate in training and conferences held within the PSAC, and within the broader labour movement (i.e. Federations of Labour, Canadian Labour Congress).
• ENVIRONMENT:
• Promote activism at all levels of the Union by sending out e-mails and posters in encouraging environmental awareness;
• Encourage members to take part in Earth Day activities;
• participating in the yearly event “Earth Hour” by turning off our lights;
• Encourage members to “play their part” by:
• using environmentally friendly material at meetings, conferences and workplaces (i.e.: paper plates and cups, use scrap paper for notepad, etc);
• printing double sided reducing the use of paper;
• encouraging the use of reusable water bottles
• encouraging green purchasing (i.e. light bulbs);
RESOURCE MATERIAL:
• Communicate the goals/objectives outlined in this document to committees, locals, etc;
• Emphasize the importance of a healthy, safe, comfortable work environment. The PSAC Health and Safety Tool Kits are an excellent resource for each Local Committee to have (the Tool Kits are available by contacting the Regional H&S Representatives).
• Promote the PSAC Awareness Kit on Scent-free Environments and the PSAC’s commitment to a greater awareness of environmental disabilities;
• Expand the current Health and Safety web page to include useful information and links on health, safety and the environment.
• COMMUNICATION / NETWORKING:
• Continue to encourage Locals to sign-on to the Regional Health & Safety Network and the National Health & Safety List Serve websites.
• Establish communication links with grassroots members, the Regional and National PSAC.
• Publicize our participation in activities that commemorate special days on the website (include article and pictures).
• CONFERENCES:
• Encourage Local Committee members and Representatives to participate in the Regional and the National Health & Safety Conferences;
• Maintain an active role in the planning and development of Regional Health & Safety Conferences;
• Encourage members to participate in National Conferences within the PSAC and the broader labour movement (i.e. Federations of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress).
(Please note that the committee recognizes that this is a living document and one, which will be revisited regularly at each Committee meetings.)
Contact Information:
Contact the Chair or any member of the PSAC Atlantic Council Health, Safety & Environment Committee through the PSAC Atlantic Regional Executive Vice-President’s Office at:
Park West Centre, Suite 301, 287 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, NS, B3M 3Y7
Telephone (902) 445-0927 or toll free at (888-808-5544)
Or by visiting the website at
http://atlantic.psac.com/atlantic/what/healthsafety/healthsafety-e.shtml
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