Joint Statement from Greg Hughes (President & CEO, NSLC) and Jason MacLean (President, NSGEU)

We would like to thank you for rising to the challenge during this time of uncertainty with COVID-19.

Thank you for serving customers in stores, moving warehouse inventory to keep stores stocked, and keeping critical functions operating. We want you to know that you are providing an important service to Nova Scotians.

There is no rule book for managing our way through this. We are pleased to say that both the union and the employer are in good communication and are working together to identify workplace safety issues when they arise and to address them in a timely manner. We know you are feeling the stress. You’ve been working long, hard hours under very challenging circumstances and we thank you again for your service to the customers and the community.

On Sunday, March 22, the government declared a state of emergency in the province, limiting gathering sizes to groups no more than 5, and requiring a 14-day self-isolation for anyone arriving in Nova Scotia from another province or country. We are in support of these measures, as they help reinforce the gravity of the situation, and the need for everyone to do their part in being safe and practicing social distancing.

Currently, these are the practices the NSLC has in place to protect you at work:

• To protect our employees and customers, we are limiting number of customers in our stores at any one time, asking them to pay with credit/debit, and having customers bag their own purchases.
• Practice social distancing by staying back as far as reasonably possible
• Be vigilant with handwashing (best practice is to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds)
• Use hand sanitizer if you can’t wash your hands
• Sneeze into your elbow and discard Kleenex immediately after use
• Keep your hands away from your face
• Wipe all surfaces (desks, tables, phones and keyboards regularly with disinfectant)

If you are feeling unwell with flu like symptoms, you need to stay home. If you have notable symptoms, including a new cough with respiratory congestion and fever above 38 degrees, please connect with Nova Scotia 811 for advice and help.

We encourage you to reach out to management and/or the union with any concerns you have at this time and we will do our best to address them. Your safety is a priority.

It’s a difficult time and we don’t know what the future holds. But we will continue to work together and our medical experts to make the necessary decisions as the situation unfolds.

Sincerely,

Greg Hughes

Jason MacLean