RMA continues to follow the processes set out a couple of weeks ago. Members by and large are working from home, with staggered scheduling in the office to minimize contact and keep safe social distancing. We appreciate that there are not only changes to how you do the work, but for some of you, the actual work itself as many area physicians are moving to phone and video conferencing to continue serving their patients. As the state-of-emergency has been extended, we expect that these practices will need to continue for the time being.
As you know, your Collective Agreement is due to expire end of April this year. While we are preparing for bargaining as normal, we do expect that the COVID-19 situation will impact that as well. We haven’t landed on an approach as of yet, however, this is not something that will have a negative impact on the membership. In the event that bargaining cannot be done within our normal time-lines, the Collective Agreement will continue to apply until we are able to set dates to negotiate.
A survey will be sent to the membership in the next week or so, and we encourage all members to fill it out as this will ensure that your bargaining team has a full understanding what the members priorities at the table are.
If you have any questions relating to bargaining, the present COVID-19 situation or just in general, you are encouraged to reach out to your Unit Chair, Linda O’Hara (linda.ohara@unifor5555.ca) or President Beth Couchman (beth.couchman@unifor5555.ca).