COVID-19 and Income Supports for Workers Q and A

What is your situation? 

I am an employee with COVID-19 and/or in isolation: 

  • Your employer may have a short-term disability or sick leave program that you need to apply for before applying for EI Sickness Benefits. Check your collective agreement or contact your CUPE local.
  • If you have worked more than 600 hours in the past year or since your last EI claim, you qualify for EI sickness benefits. For more information on EI Sickness Benefits, check out the section on EI below.
  • If you have not worked more than 600 hours in the past year or since your last EI claim, the federal government is providing an Emergency Care Benefit, which will provide benefits comparable to EI for up to 15 weeks. More details will be forthcoming from the Federal government.
  • Your job will be protected during this leave of absence by federal and provincial legislation.

Read more…COVID-19 and Income Supports for Workers Q and A

COVID-19 UPDATE: The Precautionary Principle and Federal Income Support

The Precautionary Principle

Knowledge about how COVID-19 is transmitted has yet to be fully understood. For this reason, CUPE is recommending that health care settings adopt the precautionary principle towards infection prevention and control of COVID-19. The precautionary principle means taking action to prevent infection from potentially serious viruses without having to wait for complete scientific proof that a course of action is necessary. While there is continued uncertainty about whether or not the virus is spread through the air, we must conduct ourselves as if it is. For that reason, CUPE is recommending that health care workers who are in direct contact (within 2 meters) with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 request a fit-tested, seal-checked N95 respirator covering the nose and mouth.

 Federal Income Support

 What was in the federal government’s March 18 announcement:

  • A new Emergency Care Benefit that will apply to workers who do not qualify for Employment Insurance and who are in isolation, caring for a sick family member, and/or providing childcare.
    • The benefit will provide a maximum of $450 per week for up to 15 weeks.
    • Parents who are unable to work because they need to provide childcare due to school closures are eligible even if they do qualify for EI.

Read more…COVID-19 UPDATE: The Precautionary Principle and Federal Income Support

REPOST: COVID-19 and Precautions for Health Care Workers

On March 12, representatives from the NSGEU, NSNU, CUPE and Unifor met with officials from government, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, infection control specialists, and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Strang.

At this meeting, we called on the Nova Scotia government to uphold the precautionary principle when it comes to providing personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers. The precautionary principle, as outlined by Justice Campbell following the SARS crisis in 2003, says that in the absence of scientific certainty we must err on the side of caution and protect workers. In Canada, two nurses and a physician were among the casualties of SARS, and many other health workers were infected. No parties in the health system wish to see that again.

The infectious disease specialists – Dr. Jeannette Comeau, Dr. Ian Davis and Dr. Lynn Johnston – explained their strategy for the imminent arrival of COVID-19 in our province, and how we can best ensure the health and safety of the frontline workers delivering care. The specialists emphasized the fact that evidence suggests that COVID-19 is a spread through droplet and direct contact, and is not an airborne pathogen.

Read more…REPOST: COVID-19 and Precautions for Health Care Workers