Ontario
adopts new
PTSD strategy
for fi rst
responders
TORONTO — The Ontario
government has announced a
new initiative it hopes will pre-
vent or mitigate the risk of post-
traumatic stress disorders (PTS-
Ds) among first responders.
On Feb. 1, the labour minis-
try announced a new preven-
tion strategy that will address
PTSD in police, firefighters and
paramedics — a group that the
province says are at least twice as
likely as the general population
to suffer from traumatic stress
on the job.
The new strategy will focus on
prevention and measures to re-
duce stigma.
As part of that strategy, a ra-
dio and digital campaign will be
launched in order to increase
awareness and eliminate stigma
attached to the disorder.
Minister of Labour Kevin
Flynn also said he would host an
annual summit to highlight best
practices and monitor progress
in dealing with PTSD.
The strategy will also include
grants for prevention research
and a free online toolkit with re-
sources tailored for employers in
the sector.
"PTSD is a serious and debili-
tating injury. With appropriate
resources and timely treatment,
we know it can be prevented or
mitigated. We're acting today
to ensure we support effective
prevention for Ontario's first re-
sponders," Flynn said in a state-
ment.
He added that legislative
changes could be a possibility.
"We know the solution lies
with a comprehensive approach
which includes both preventa-
tive and legislative measures. I
am proud to share the first piece
of our strategy to deal with PTSD
in our first responders that will
seek to address current gaps and
build on existing PTSD preven-
tion activities currently under-
way across Ontario," Flynn said.
Air Canada,
CALDA sign
agreement
TORONTO — Air Canada and
the Canadian Airline Dispatch-
ers Association (CALDA) re-
cently signed a new contract.
The 12-year collective agree-
ment — subject to ratification
— covers Air Canada's flight
dispatchers based at the airline's
Operations Centre near Toronto
Pearson International Airport.
The affected employees assist
flight crew in the preparation for
flight arrivals and departures.
The contract is subject to
certain openers over its 12-year
period. Details of the agreement
will not be released pending rati-
fication by CALDA and approval
by the Air Canada Board of Di-
rectors.
This agreement follows the
conclusion of several contracts,
including 10-year agreements
with IAMAW, CUPE and ACPA.
The agreement with IAMAW
covers 7,500 technical, mainte-
nance, airport ramp and cargo
personnel while the agreement
with CUPE affects 6,500 flight
attendants and the deal with
ACPA concerns 3,000 pilots.
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