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MGEU and other health care unions address health and safety concerns relating to flu outbreak.
Winnipeg (31 July 2009) - Health care unions in Manitoba have agreed to "facilitate temporary volunteer staff transfers" within the province to help deal with the H1N1 flu outbreak.
The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE) says a letter dealing with voluntary transfers was sent this week to all locals. The following memo has been posted on the MGEU website:
RE: Redeployment in health emergencies outside RHA relating to H1N1
The threat of H1N1 continues to be of concern to all Manitobans. One of the ways the MGEU is addressing these concerns, as they relate to the health and safety of its members and all Manitobans, is through its affiliation and pandemic planning with the Manitoba Council of Health Care Unions (MCHCU).As part of ongoing efforts towards emergency preparedness relating to H1N1, the MGEU, along with all of the unions that comprise the MCHCU, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement to facilitate temporary volunteer staff transfers between RHAs/regions in the event of an emergency, disaster or pandemic relating specifically to the H1N1 virus.
The Memorandum of Agreement, which has been reviewed and accepted by all involved MGEU Component Directors, cannot be enacted or implemented until an RHA/region declares an emergency, disaster or pandemic relating only to H1N1. In the event of a H1N1 emergency declaration requiring the assistance of staff, the Employer will provide written confirmation directly to the Union. As was stated earlier in the letter, this agreement only allows for temporary/voluntary transfers and makes no provisions for involuntary transfers.
The full text of the agreement has been made available online at the link below.
NUPGE
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
More information:
Memorandum of Agreement - Redeployment in Health Emergencies Outside RHA Relating to H1N1