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Advises workers with family services and housing department to 'hold off' until more information is available.
Winnipeg (29 Oct. 2009) - The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE) is advising employees of the province's family services and housing department (FSH) to 'hold off' completing record checks that the government says are needed to help prepare for the H1N1 flu crisis.
The union says the department sent out a memo dated Oct. 20 giving notice that it is requiring criminal record, child abuse registry and prior contact checks to be completed by Nov. 6 on all FSH staff "to ensure the rapid redeployment of staff should staffing levels be impacted by H1N1.”
"A number of MGEU members have contacted the union concerned about why these checks are taking place and the type of work they could be transferred to which would require such checks," MGEU says.
As a result, two MGEU officials, Bill Anderson, the union's director of negotiations, and Jan Henley, its social sciences director, have relayed these concerns to the government and requested a meeting before the week is out with management to discuss the issue.
"The MGEU is advising all members to hold off on completing the checks until union representatives have met with the employer and had a more in-depth discussion about the issue and our concerns," the union says.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE