Health, Social Services, and Education

Service Levels during Potential Job Action

The Union of Northern Workers (UNW) has served notice of their intention to commence strike activity at GNWT worksites beginning on Monday, February 11^th, 2019.

To ensure the least amount of impact for our patients and clients, the TCSA is reviewing scheduled appointments which may change as a result of possible job action. Physicians and clinical staff are reviewing individual cases, with a focus on minimizing the impact to patients and clients and are contacting those individuals directly if there are any changes to their booked appointments.

Our first priority is our patients, clients, and students and we will continue to reduce impacts of any job action where possible.

At this time, all programs, services, and appointments will continue as usual.

Additional service levels and contact information will be made available as needed.

In an effort to ensure our patients, clients, students, and families have access to information about TCSA programs and services in the event of a strike, the following provides a high-level outline of what to expect across the TCSA during a Job Action:

All Community Health Centers: Non-urgent appointments will be cancelled. Patients will be contacted if their appointment remains scheduled. There will be a nurse on call for after-hour emergencies at all community health centers.

Hours of Operation are as follows:

• Behchokǫ̀ Health Center will be open from 08:30am – 5:00pm
• Whati Health Center will be open from 1:00pm – 5:00pm
• Gameti Health Center will be open from 10:00am – 4:00pm
• Wekweeti Health Cabin will remain open from 10:00am-3:00pm

Medical Travel – Medical travel will continue for scheduled appointments. Patients will be notified their appointment has been cancelled or rescheduled.

Long Term Care: The Jimmy Erasmus Seniors Home will remain open. However all recreation programs will be cancelled including the Elder’s day program. Non-urgent admissions will be cancelled during job action.

Home Care – Home care services and transportation to appointments will be limited. Clients whose home care appointments will be changed will be contacted directly.  Medications will be delivered as usual.

Child and Family Services: All programs and services will continue.

Mental Health and Adult Services: All appointments and programs will continue for Behchokǫ̀. Mental Health services will be available during 1:00pm – 5:00pm at the Whati Health Center. Clients whose mental health appointments will be changed will be contacted directly.

JK-12 Education Program: All TCSA schools will remain open during job action. The following education services will be impacted:

• Bus Program – Bussing services will be reduced to morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off. There will be no midday bus services and no mother’s bus including the noon bus run for EMES.
• Front Desk Services – Schools will have safe arrival phones answered in the morning only. School principals will be the main point of contact for all other communication.
• Educational Assistants – Classroom support assistance will be cancelled in all schools.
• Library Services – Library services will be closed until further notice.
• Extra-Curricular Programs – All extra-curricular sports and clubs will be closed until further notice.
• Evening and Weekend User Groups – All evening and weekend sports, clubs, meetings and events will be cancelled until further notice.