Local 79 is working to support members as the City of Toronto, Bridgepoint and Toronto Community Housing keeps critical public services operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of our members is paramount. Our members at Toronto Public Health are keeping the best and most up-to-date resources on COVID-19, which you can access here.

Local 79 office closed to visitors and member walk-ins

In order to help limit the spread of COVID-19, Local 79 has closed its offices to visitors and member drop-ins.

Local 79 will be continuing our day-to-day operations as follows:

• Responding to email and phone inquiries. If you do not reach a live person, please leave a message and your call will be returned. 
• Responding to inquiries on grievances and investigations. There will be some impact to timelines and processes involving grievances as we adhere to public health protocol. If you need to speak with a union representative regarding a grievance, please contact your unit officer or the local.
• Responding to health and safety issues in the workplace. We are in daily contact with the City and its divisions about their COVID-19 response. We are also following up on any divisional issues reported to us by members. There are four Local 79 health and safety officers on call to respond to your concerns.

Please take a look to our Contact Us page for the appropriate resource.

Local 79 has developed a guide for COVID-19 safety measures in City of Toronto workplaces. Click here to read it.

Local 79 members should also make sure to keep their contact information, email and phone numbers included, updated in the Members’ Portal.

Self-assessment

Use the Ministry of Health’s self-assessment to help determine if you need to seek care. If you’re having difficulty breathing or experiencing other severe symptoms, call 911.

Always call your health care provider before visiting.

Click here to take the Ministry of Health’s self-assessment tool.

Resources for City of Toronto employees

Intranet and ELI – The City has revised its intranet to make it more user friendly and informative and repurposed the City’s ELI system as a knowledge base for employees. ELI can now be accessed from anywhere at toronto.csod.com. All you need to log in is your employee number and password. If you are a new ELI user, contact the Technology Services Desk at techservices@toronto.ca or 416-338-2255 for a temporary password.

Employee Assistance Program – City workers can access the City’s Employee Assistance Program if you or your family members require support. Telephone advice and consultation with a professional counsellor is available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week by calling 416-392-6633.

Dedicated email for staff questions – The City has set up a dedicated email address for you to send any questions you may have about COVID-19 and how it’s impacting you in the worklace. The email address is covid19staffsupport@toronto.ca and is being monitored daily by staff.

Crisis lines

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued for longer than most people expected. The protracted crisis has understandably had negative impacts on many peoples’ mental health.

If you find yourself in crisis, please make use of the many crisis support lines available in Toronto and the surrounding area. The City of Toronto has created a comprehensive list of those services, which you can access by clicking here.