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  2. All BCGEU Members at CVSE - Follow Up on Recent Safety Concerns - BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)

All BCGEU Members at CVSE - Follow Up on Recent Safety Concerns - BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)

Published on October 26, 2023

Further to the previous bulletin dated September 29, 2023, your union is aware that there has been an escalation in violent events, most notably the bullet holes to the Laidlaw station. Global News reported on this incident last weekend and President Stephanie Smith spoke to Global News to express our concern for CVSE members. You can watch the news clip here.

BCGEU OHS staff have spoken with the Employer and received an update on their efforts. The BCGEU has plans to discuss these incidents with the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure with the goal of accelerating the implementation of improved control measures, administrative practices, and enhanced training. 

If violence or any other hazard is affecting your ability to work safely, you have the right to refuse unsafe work. For your OHS rights and the steps to refuse unsafe work, please see our website: https://ohs.bcgeu.ca/your-rights.

Incidents and serious near misses can have a significant impact on morale and mental health. So, while we advocate for improved control measures and the continuation of those that have been recently implemented, we also encourage all workers to continue to follow the current workplace safety policies and procedures to ensure your own protection.

The reporting of workplace incidents falls under those policies and procedures. But we know that workers often face barriers in reporting workplace incidents. Reporting incidents can feel intimidating or that there is pressure within your worksite to not report. Reporting is a worker’s legal duty and a critical component to workplace safety, and your union can assist in these efforts.

As mentioned in the last bulletin, we encourage workers to report serious incidents of violence directly to [email protected]. This also includes reporting near misses that could have resulted in a serious injury.
CVSE members play an important role in public safety and work hard to protect road users. In turn, you deserve a workplace that fosters a culture of safety for its workers.

 
In solidarity,

Rob Davis, Vice President - Environment, Technical and Operations
Component 20

Download PDF of notice here



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