QUÉBEC, April 16, 2021 / CNW Telbec / – The staff of two specialized schools in Québec, des Quatre-Saisons and de la Cité, have taken matters into their own hands to correct a serious health and safety deficiency. On Thursday, these workers exercised their right to refuse to work to demand emergency vaccinations. Given the high number of COVID-19 cases in Quebec City, given that these schools are among the very few to remain open, and given that the special needs of their students greatly increase the risk of transmission, staff members have demanded to be vaccinated urgently.
Wednesday and Thursday, their union representatives met with the management of the school service center, public health and the CNESST. After these meetings, Public Health authorized the accelerated vaccination of staff from April 21 to 24, rather than during the month of May as initially planned.
“The staff of specialized schools are in a very special situation which places them at a very, very high risk of contamination. Obviously, this risk affects children and their families just as much. It was clear to us that these schools had been forgotten in the “wall-to-wall” the vaccination schedule. Our members have therefore acted decisively. We must also salute the reaction of the management of our service center and of Public Health, who recognized and solved the problem ”, explained Julie Duperré, president of local 1296 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents the school support staff of the Center de services scolaire de la Capitale.
“We are very proud of our tutoring members in these two schools, who have taken matters into their own hands, and in a brilliant way. They are really in the front row of the first line of the health crisis, but we had forgotten them in the distribution of shields. So they wisely exercised their right of refusal and immediately obtained the necessary measures. It is a superb example of victorious union action ”, according to Richard Delisle, president of CUPE’s Provincial School Support Council (CPSS).
With nearly 122,000 members in Quebec, CUPE represents some 11,945 members in the education sector in Quebec. CUPE is also present in the following sectors: social affairs, communications, universities, energy, municipalities, state corporations and public bodies, air and ground transportation, the mixed sector as well as transportation. maritime. It is the largest union affiliated with the FTQ.
SOURCE Canadian Union of Public Employees (FTQ)
For further information: Sébastien Goulet, CUPE Communications Department, 438 882-3756
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