Health and Safety Conference - April 20-21

National President's Opening Speech

Good morning Sisters and Brothers,

For those of you who are here for the first time welcome to Ottawa and welcome everyone to UNDE’s first National Health and Safety Conference.

Over the course of the next two days, there will be many opportunities for you to network and hear testimonials – hopefully not horror stories -- from other Brothers and Sisters on the state of the health and safety program in their workplace. And whether your employer is public sector, private sector or separate employer, health and safety issues are the same for all of us no matter what we do for an employer or who our employer is.

Even though our membership is now diversified and there have been many changes over the years due to government restructuring and reorganizing, matters related to health and safety remain firmly entrenched in legislation -- no matter who the employer is.

Health and safety is a condition of employment that every worker and every employer cannot disregard. It involves the most disciplined legislation binding on both parties to help improve the quality of life in the workplace and ensure Canadian workers are employed in a healthy and safe environment.

It has been said many a times that if workers in this country had collective agreements or terms and conditions of employment agreed to and respected as much as health and safety legislation is, employee productivity would be up and the employers’ workplaces would be a place that workers would look forward going to every day.

That is one of the reasons why unions are in business. Health and safety is a priority in many unions’ mandates.

It should never be forgotten that it was the Labour movement that pressured governments federally and provincially to recognize the importance of a solid, transparent and comprehensive health and safety program in the workplace supported by very tough legislation.

However, as we have all experienced, there is no perfect system and some employers or managers still have not acknowledged the health and safety rights of working people. Our struggles must continue collectively as health and safety activists to keep ourselves well-informed, up to date and active. It is your responsibility to bring the knowledge back to the workplace in a pro-active, non-confrontational manner and use good judgment when exercising our rights under health and safety legislation.

Let’s take a step back for a moment and see where we are in our health and safety programs and where we began.

First, based on the job functions in this department, it isn’t hard to argue that what we do in Defence represents one the most diversified departments in all of government and the private sector. We have jobs that nobody else can do and we have jobs that nobody wants to do.

At the beginning, when legislation was not as disciplined as it is today, the violations of workers’ rights and the risks taken to get the employer’s work done would not withstand any attempt today to work in the same fashion.

Despite this, our members are often still exposed to some of the same conditions while performing their duties today even though they may be better protected, have better equipment and better training. The employer even has a better understanding of ergonomics for our office workers and more importantly, improved workplace health and safety programs, but our work will never be finished, with continued introduction of advanced equipment, new processes in how we deliver our services, new high tech and high stress computer systems and with an aging workforce we will always have Health and Safety issues.

These conditions will not change or be accommodated by the employer because it is something the employer wants to do or is more than willing to offer it up. These changes will be brought about because of agreements reached by labor and management representatives who understand health and safety legislation and the mandatory compliance. And of course some managers will have to be to be educated by our union activists via complaints to Labour Canada or Provincial Labor authorities. And of course they will quickly be brought into the real world of workers’ rights.

At this juncture we can say that in our work place we have come a long way -- but there is always room for improvement. As an example, our public service members are constantly faced with transitional management – a revolving door of military bosses who have never worked with civilian employees, that have to be ‘educated’ of our health and safety rights.

Our private sector members have employers who often have the weird misconception that because they are on a military facility, they are exempt from respecting health and safety legislation.

And our separate employer organizations cannot figure out if they do or don’t have to comply with health and safety legislation.

Sisters and Brothers, it is very clear health and safety legislation, federally or provincially, does not discriminate. All employers public, private or separate operating agencies must comply with health and safety legislation. And it is our unfettered right and our duty to ensure that employers remain in compliance.

Therefore, as I stated at the beginning, for the next two days, it is important for each of you to network and hear accounts from each other both in the plenary and in your respective workshops. Your participation here will enable our union to continue to provide a safe and healthy workplace for our members.

In addition to information gained at this conference, there are many other reliable tools for you to depend on. The PSAC has a very strong health and safety program with knowledgeable staff available to each and everyone of you for assistance. You will meet Jeff, Denis and Dominic at this conference, as well as our own facilitators Arlene Preston and Daniel Verreault.

Third party organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and Labour Canada are available for tools and resources, free of charge, to help you carry out your job.

In closing, I hope you have a great conference, and that you return to the workplace with information, knowledge and skills in your toolbox to better our members’ quality of life as well as your own.

Remember, a safer workplace creates a healthy environment and sound peace of mind.

Thank you, good luck and enjoy the rest of the conference.