Health & Safety Issues On Bargaining Table
At a recent bargaining session, members from the Union Negotiating Committee presented several health and safety issues that are affecting union members in the stores across the province.
While the Union Negotiating Committee, and all UFCW 1518 members take health and safety issues very seriously, Overwaitea senior management has not shown they feel the same.
“There are too many examples of poor health & safety processes, of a lack of communications, of injuries to workers,” UFCW 1518 President Ivan Limpright told Overwaitea. “These issues are serious for your staff, and in spite of this, some of your bargaining committee were smirking and passing notes, during the presentation this committee made to you.”
Committee members presented examples of health and safety incidents that have occurred, and continue to be a risk in the stores. This included the poisoning of some members as a result of being exposed to toxic chemical fumes, one member losing partial function of his hand due to lack of training on the use of a power-jack, the constant reports of many member of harassment in the workplace, and the lack of training in the stores that has led to hundreds of preventable injuries.
The Committee members also expressed their frustration and anger with store management’s lack of cooperation in addressing these issues and working with the union and the Health and Safety Committees.
“When new Clerks don’t know how to use a boxcutter or change the blades, or put themselves at risk by treating equipment like forklifts as a toy, there is a problem...you need to start to address these issues, not pay lip service to them,” said Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518.
The Union Negotiating Committees are dedicated to improving the contract to make a safer work environment that provides the necessary training.
Grant’s Law Strengthens Health & Safety Regs for BC Workers
Grant’s Law, named after Grant De Patie who was killed on the job as a result of a gas and dash, was implemented in BC as of February 1. Although Grant’s Law is not technically a law, it does make important amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
The amendments are designed to provide more protections for workers by making it mandatory that there are at least two people working in gas stations, retail stores, and gas stations and convenience stores, between the hours of 10pm and 6am, and that customers pre-pay for their gas before pumping.
“Grant’s Law is very important for union members working in Gas Bars, and all workers in BC,” says UFCW 1518 President Ivan Limpright. “Too often we see horrible incidents to workers on the job, like the tragic death of Grant De Patie, and these necessary amendments to the existing Health and Safety regulations are critical in the effort to prevent these tragedies from happening again.”
