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It’s no secret I’m a very social person and I speak from my heart. That’s why this COVID-19 pandemic is exceptionally challenging for me. We have lost our one-on-one, person-to-person contact. Sure, we’re now using online technology – like WebEx, Zoom and …

I won’t forget March 7. That day, I learned that a resident at Lynn Valley Care Centre had COVID-19. I knew the workers would be scared. And I knew that day marked a turning point for the province as we faced an unprecedented public health emergency. HEU …

When farms in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta became hotspots for COVID-19 outbreaks, it brought to light the unsafe and precarious working conditions of migrant farmworkers. From cramped living quarters to lack of sick leave provisions, these …

Indigenous communities in B.C. were among the first to spring into action when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Recognizing the massive risks the virus could bring to isolated, under-resourced communities, local First Nations governments worked quickly to …

“There are two residents with COVID-19 on my wing and we’ve run out of N95 respirators.” “My manager is restricting housekeepers to one surgical mask per shift.” “As a food service worker, I’m expected to deliver meals to residents, but I haven’t been …

The pandemic has put many pressures on the mental health of frontline workers -- from fears of contracting COVID- 19 at work and infecting loved ones at home, to workplace changes and anxiety about safety. This is particularly true for workers at …

Health care workers in B.C. put themselves at risk reporting to work each shift during a pandemic. And many have tested positive for COVID-19, including 262 seniors' care workers, as of August 6 – health officials are not providing regular updates for …

With collective agreements for most contracted support services workers (CSSW) expiring at the end of September 2020, HEU members in this sector are preparing for bargaining. At the same time, the union continues to push for contracted support work to be …

On May 19, the B.C. Finance Minister Carole James announced that the province would provide 16 weeks of temporary pandemic pay for workers in health care, community social services and in corrections. HEU had written health employers in early April, …