The union that represents the City of Toronto’s inside workers is blaming the City after a popular indoor pool was forced to close on Tuesday because of extreme heat that it says posed “unsafe” work conditions for staff.
CUPE Local 79 said staff at Birchmount Community Centre exercised their right to refuse to work after humidex levels soared on Tuesday due to a mechanical issue at the pool.
Toronto is currently under a heat warning, with temperatures and humidity levels expected to remain dangerously high until Wednesday night.
The union says a similar stoppage took place within the last week at the Main Square Community Centre indoor pool and lays the blame solely on the City for failing to “provide appropriate cooling spaces” for employees.
“At both Main Square and Birchmount pools, indoor humidex readings have been recorded between 40°C and 45°C this week — a threshold requiring increased staffing levels, and the presence of medics when [humidity] reaches over 45°C under health and safety policies,” CUPE said in a release. “In the case where temperatures exceeded 45°C , medics were not present. The extreme heat conditions stem from malfunctioning … units, which regulate humidity in indoor pool environments.”
“Despite repeated complaints from frontline staff, City management failed to act and provide appropriate cooling spaces. As a result, workers are exercising their right to refuse unsafe work under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. In response, the City has temporarily closed Birchmount Pool today until 5:30 p.m.”
The City’s website states that the pool at Birchmount Community Centre “is presently closed due to a mechanical issue.”
The City has since released a statement about the situation, stating: “The health and safety of staff and the public is our top priority. The City of Toronto is working to address issues with the dehumidification systems at Main Square Indoor Pool and Birchmount Indoor Pool to reopen both facilities as soon as possible – likely tomorrow.”
The City added that measures currently in use for pools include:
- Scaling up of staffing by 30 per cent to ensure work / rest regime is adjusted and that staff are able to take the required breaks.
- Staff are encouraged to drink plenty of water. Electrolyte and cold beverages are provided to staff.
- Staff are to work in shade if outside. Additional umbrellas have been provided where required.
- Cool spaces are provided to staff by installing fans and A/C
- Aquatics staff are encouraged to dip into the pool to cool off during their off rotation.
- Community paramedics are arranged to check on staff at hotter priority locations, as identified.
“Where work conditions are deemed unsafe by management, facilities will be temporarily closed,” the City added.
They later added that the City is working to address issues with the dehumidification systems at Main Square Indoor Pool and Birchmount Indoor Pool and plan to reopen both facilities as early as tomorrow.
Zeus Eden, Press Secretary for Mayor Chow, followed up on Wednesday, saying the Mayor “has made it clear she will take whatever action is necessary to keep pools open for Torontonians and protect worker safety. Upon receiving the media advisory, we reached out to the union, and have already agreed to work with them to resolve their specific concerns and ensure the indoor pools stay open.”
Eden also stressed that “has led on measures to ensure workers have protections during heat waves. At June City Council, the Mayor moved to deploy additional lifeguards to accommodate more breaks during extreme heat, to make medical professionals available to check in with workers and ensure lifeguards are safe, and to install more shade structures for workers to stay out of the sun.”
Last month some outdoor pools were intermittently closed during a searing heat wave, prompting public complaints and vows from Mayor Olivia Chow that it wouldn’t happen again.
Meanwhile, CUPE Local 79 President Nas Yadollahi says the latest indoor closures are “yet another example of how Toronto’s crumbling infrastructure and poor management is putting both frontline workers and the public at risk.”
“Our members are being asked to work in dangerous conditions, and when they raise legitimate concerns, those concerns are dismissed or ignored.”
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story contained a quote from a CUPE press release stating that the issue stemmed from malfunctioning Dectron units. The company that makes those units provided the following statement to CityNews: We’d like to clarify that Dectron is a specific brand of dehumidification system manufactured by Dehumidified Air Solutions, and these units are not installed at either of the affected facilities.