Evidence of meeting #7 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was workers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
MP Doherty, first, with respect to the workers, everybody is working very hard in this very challenging time—
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
—and they are going above and beyond. I think what has been accomplished has been excellent, but I will take your note with respect to the importance of ensuring that we have the systems in place to have these meetings.
Conservative
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
I believe I am aware of the correspondence that was written. Let me say that we are getting correspondence on a regular basis, and my team is—
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Minister, it's not out of a lack of respect, but my time is very short. Are you aware of the substance and the contents of that letter, yes or no?
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
We're getting correspondence every day. Volumes of correspondence are coming in. I'm not specifically sure with respect to which letter. We've received a number of letters—
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
The letter came from CUPE. It asked you to step in, do your job and provide flight attendants with PPE so that they could do their jobs safely. Does that remind you now about the contents of the letter?
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
There are different letters. I will say that most of the letters that we have received in my portfolio relate specifically to the PPE, yes.
Conservative
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
That is in process. We are now working through responding to the various pieces of correspondence that we have received. My team is working very hard to respond to the volumes of correspondence that are coming in.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Minister, since March 15, over 300 flights in Canada have had confirmed cases of COVID, resulting in at least 60 confirmed cases with our flight attendants. On March 11, the government asked airlines and airports to become the front line of the COVID battle, asking our airport employees as well as our airline employees to be the front line of defence. Did your office at any time provide any training or PPE to any of those organizations?
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
What I would say in response to that is that our government is very much aware of the PPE that is needed. We are working very hard with procurement in order to secure as much PPE as we possibly can.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
In regard to working with the various sectors, I'm working with Minister Garneau on this particular file. I want to add that we are working collaboratively with each of the sectors—
Conservative
Liberal
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Minister, I'm going to be very blunt and very clear.
Your mandate letter states that you will work with and “require federally regulated employers to take preventative steps to address workplace stress and injury”. Would you not say that we're in some unprecedented times and that every measure should be taken to provide employees, when they raise an issue, and employers, when they raise an issue—
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Absolutely, MP Doherty, and I know that Minister Garneau has been working closely with the airline sector.
The other issue that I would raise—
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
No, actually, he's the lead minister with respect to transport. He has in fact implemented a number of measures to help keep those workers safe, such as the recent guideline with respect to ensuring that those who are travelling by air wear masks.
The other issue I would raise is that in the Canada Labour Code—
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Minister, do you take responsibility for any of our flight attendants and our flight crews that have become sick? They've asked for help, and you've failed to provide any help and even failed to answer the letters of correspondence.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
I wouldn't agree with that.
I would say, first and foremost, we're responding to letters. Second, with respect to the PPE with air transit, I know that Minister Garneau and I have been working very closely with respect to identifying what PPE is needed.
Under the Canada Labour Code, there is a provision that any federally regulated worker who feels that they are in a dangerous work environment has the right to make that claim, and there have been some claims. Processes have been put in place—
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
But your office has refused to answer their concerns. You just stated earlier that you still haven't responded to their labour organization. One of your deputy ministers said earlier that you have a tripartite approach with the employer, the employee reps and yourself, and you try to find solutions, but you've just stated that you have yet to respond to an April 6 letter.
Our airline and airport staff have been on the front lines fighting COVID since early in March, yet they still have not had any training, and they still have not had any PPE.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Sorry, Todd, but I disagree with that statement.
I have been in regular engagement with union leaders, labour and businesses, in order to come to a point where we can work collaboratively. I'm happy to say that employers know that they have the responsibility to provide that equipment.